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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



The 
Soul- Winner's Gospel 

The Saving Doctrines of the Gospel of 
John, interpreted and appHed in 
personal work with re- 
sultant conversions 



By 

GERRIT SNYDER 

With Introduction by 
ANDREW C. ZENOS, D. D. 



PUBLISHING HOUSE of the 

PENTECOSTAL CHURCH of the NAZARENE 

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 

2109 TROOST AVENUE 



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Copyright, 1914, by 

Gekrit Snyder 



JAN -4 1915 
©CI.A393137 



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CONTENTS 



Page 

Introduction _ , 5 

Preface , 9 

Chapter 

I. Characteristics and Contents "15 

II. Jolin: Evangelist, Author, Apostle 23 

III. The True Light 35 

IV. The First Step in Salvation 41 

V. The New Birth 50 

VI. Divine Love 61 

VII. Present Salvation 71 

VIIL Christ's Welcome. 76 

IX, "Obedience, the Origin of Spiritual Knowledge" 80 

X. Conviction of Sin 94 

XL Life Eternal 101 

XII. Evidences of Discipleship and Assurance of 

Salvation 106 

XIIL Faith Without a Confession 112 

XIV. The Holy Spirit in Soul-Winning 117 

XV. Stray Arrows 124 



INTRODUCTION 



Christianity and evangelism are inseparable. In 
its first form the Christian religion was a Gospel 
— an Evangel, a message of Good News. The Great 
Commission is a command to evangelize. The earli- 
est church was the offspring of evangelism and the 
mother of evangelists. In the nature of the case the 
Apostolic community could know of no other way of 
propagating and growing than by evangelistic ef- 
fort. And every Christian was expected to be, and 
was, an evangelist. 

The time came, however, when a new class of per- 
sons arose for the Church to take hold of and Christ- 
ianize, viz., her own children. To these the Evangel 
was no new thing. They could not be evangelized 
as their parents were. They must be nurtured and 
trained in the faith received from believing fathers 
and mothers. Thus arose Christian nurture, after 
evangelism. But it did not supersede it. The evan- 
gelist still went forth outside of the Christian com- 
munity to tell men of God's love through Jesus 
Christ. 

When the Christian state made its appearance, 
evangelism was differentiated into two types, that 
which aimed to bring the non-Christian masses 
within the state to Christ, and that which was di- 

5 



6 Introduction 

rected towards converting the pagan world. That 
is the distinction perpetuated to the present day 
under the new phrases home missions and foreign 
missions. Meantime, changes have taken place. New 
social conditions have developed. The great city dis- 
appeared for a time, only to reappear in a more 
formidable aspect and complexion. Movements and 
interminglings of populations and races have taken 
place. But the impulse to evangelize continues and 
the command "to make disciples of all the nations" 
is still binding. Evangelism has accordingly de- 
veloped new methods; it has made a new history; 
for itself. Every devout soul which has had wisdom 
given and has gathered experience in the endeavor 
to impart the gift of divine life to others, owes it 
to contribute to the development of the new evan- 
gelism. 

The author of this little book is one of those who 
have been favored with success in personal evan- 
gelism, and he aims to help others as he himself 
has been helped in this work. The book is charac- 
terized by simplicity and directness. He is no ad- 
vocate of an elaborate method in conducting a cam- 
paign. System and thoroughness are perfectly com- 
patible with simplicity and directness. Doctor 
Snyder returns to the Avays of the Apostolic age 
when each soul, set aflame by the love of Christ, 
went out to kindle other souls, when the press agent 
and the great tabernacle and the trained chorus had 
as yet not made their appearances. These are all 



Intkoduction 7 

good, but the older way still has its charm and 
power. 

The book is further characterized by the positive 
and constructive note. Frequently the evangelist of 
our days makes his appearance in the community 
in the controversial temper. He opens his campaign 
by an attack on organized traditional Christianity. 
Doctor Snyder evidently believes in pressing to the 
winning of souls by a direct approach to them. Or- 
ganized and institutional Christianity in no way 
stands in his path. His whole attitude is that of the 
man so intent on winning souls that he sees no one 
and nothing else. 

The book has another characteristic. It is the 
pastoral temper of the writer. The author has an 
eye not only to the gathering of the unconverted, but 
to their conservation and development after they 
have been induced to cross the threshold of the 
Church. His experience as pastor of churches has 
quickened within his heart the sense of the need of 
fellowship and guidance of the newly evangelized. 

It is a wholesome view of the subject and will 
help to advance the cause in whose interest it is set 
forth. 

Andrew C. Zends. 

McOormick Theological Seminary, Chicago. 111. 



PREFACE. 



The last quarter of the last century stands out 
in the minds of Christian people as one of the great 
revival periods in the history of the Christian 
church. The opening of the new century is less 
niarked by such a deep, universal, spiritual movement. 
The meager results and the reaction at times of 
special evangelistic meetings have raised the ques- 
tion whether the old type of revival is not a thing 
of the past. If it is, what is to take its place? 
Will social service? Will education? These never 
can be a substitute for true evangelism. Unless 
the church grows from the constant inflow of a 
divine life there is nothing to keep it from sink- 
ing into a deadly indifference and formalism. If 
the evangelistic note is to be no longer sounded in 
our preaching, if we are to witness no more clear 
cases of conversion, the church as an institution 
may well ask for herself the question, "What must 
I do to be saved?" 

But those who believe that Christianity is a 
life — ever-flowing underneath the surface, often in 
hidden depths, having many channels but giving pre- 
ponderance now to one and then to another, finding 
often new ways of expression — need not despair 
of the future. True Christianity is a permanent 

9 



10 Pbeface 

river whose course may be diverted, but whose life- 
giving waters will never cease flowing. There is, 
however, a growing conviction, which the writer 
shares with others, that for permanency and whole- 
someness the broad stream of the past evangelism 
must be directed more into separate channels, upon 
single, unproductive spots. It has never forsaken 
these channels, but by reason of its broad expanse, 
some have gotten the impression that no good is 
being accomplished except through wholesale, evan- 
gelistic methods. The rivulets of individual activ- 
ity and influence have been obscured. Each church 
needs to realize again the value of its own irrigat- 
ing ditches. The local church must fall back again 
upon its own resources, direct its own energies, and 
become its own soul-winning agency. Each pastor 
must have the evangelistic spirit. He must in- 
struct and train his Sunday school teachers and 
others in personal work. The evangelism of the 
future must be more personal, local, educational, 
persistent. Its spirit, fervor, and fire will not dif- 
fer from that of the past^ but the evangelistic con- 
secration must take the form of concentration in 
each local church. All Christians must become im- 
bued with a passion for souls. As in the early 
church, each professing Christian must become 
Christ's witness, worker, warrior. No matter what 
means may be used to bring large numbers under 
the influence of the Gospel, and how the public 
discourse is needed to urge the acceptance of its 



Pbeface 11 

overtures, the individual must never be lost in the 
mass. "In the temple of God, each brick must be 
handled separately." The world must be brought 
to Christ by units. 

It is the writer's purpose in this little book to 
show how that in a soul-saving work, the Gospel 
of John is pre-eminently the text-book and guide. 
It is a weapon which never wears out, and is never 
out of date. For this reason it is here called The 
Soul- Winner's Gospel. 

The writer's chief aim has been to furnish a clear 
setting of the saving truths of the Gospel, with in- 
cidents showing how the Holy Spirit blesses those 
truths in convictions and conversions, if His help 
and guidance are sought. It is especially designed 
for young Christians who desire to be used of God 
in the salvation of others. The book, however, will 
measurably fail in its purpose, if persons who come 
into the possession thereof content themselves 
merely with a hasty reading of its pages, as if it 
were a story book. If it has any value, it should 
be regarded as a brief introductory text book on 
the divine art of soul- winning. Its perusal should 
be accompanied with a special study of John's Gos- 
pel, memorizing its precious passages. In that way 
alone will its truths become a life-long acquisition 
of knowledge and equipment for service. 

^Hiile pastors and experienced Christian workers 
may find little that is new or striking in the fol- 
lowing chapters, it is, nevertheless, the writer's 



12 Preface 

hope that by its reading their faith may be strength- 
ened in the efficacy of God's Word and in the prom- 
ised guidance of His Spirit. May it awaken a de- 
sire to become, above all things, "fishers of men." 
In that work we can always be assured of the sym- 
pathy and companionship of the Son of man who 
"came to seek and to save that which was lost." 
No degree of other success in the ministry ever sat- 
isfies the hunger for souls. Eev. John H. Barrows, 
D. D., made the following remark one day, in a 
conversation with a friend in reference to his large, 
influential congregation in Chicago : "There is some- 
thing inspiring in large audiences," he said, ''and 
something gratifying in the generous contributions 
of the rich, and in not having to worr}^ about salary 
and church finances; but I miss the deepest jo}^ of 
the ministry in not seeing, as I desife, conversions." 
Hear this, brethren, who may be laboring in ob- 
scure places, wondering why the door to a larger 
field has not been opened to you. If you are soul- 
winners, yours is a "high calling." "He that win- 
neth souls is wise." "They that are wise shall shine 
as the brightness of the firmament, and they that 
turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever 
and ever." There is no work comparable with this. 
If ever a pastor has outstanding moments of a 
precious experience; if ever his heart overflows 
with gratitude and praise ; if ever his soul is thrilled 
with a deep, pure, unearthly joy, it is when he has 



Pkeface 13 

been consciously used of God in winning some one 
to Christ. 

The following pages are sent forth with the prayer 
that the Gospel of salvation therein unfolded and 
the incidents of conversion related may inspire the 
readers to dedicate their lives to the greatest and 
noblest work on earth. 

Gerrit Snyder, 

Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 1, 1914. 



The Soul-Winner's Gospel 



CHAPTEE I. 

CHARACTERISTICS AND CONTENTS. 

To JUSTIFY the title applied to John's Gospel as 
"The Soul-Winner's Gospel," attention is called first 
of all to its special contents and distinctive 
teachings. 

1. The Gospel of John sets forth, as no other 
Gospel or book in the New Testament, Jesus Christ 
as the divine and only Savior. The chief purpose 
of the book, as expressed by its author, we find in 
the following significant passage: "These are writ- 
ten that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, 
the Son of God, and that believing ye may have 
life through his name" (Ch. 20:31). The introduc- 
tion to the Gospel (Ch. 1:1-12) sets forth the divine 
nature of Christ, His pre-existence and equality 
with God the Father, His presence and agency in 
the creation of the world, the Eevealer of God, and 
the life and light of men. In the relation of John 
the Baptist to Him, the record of which is given 
in the same chapter, John points out Jesus, not as 
wiser than himself, or purer than himself, but as 
the Lamb whose sacrificial death was to be the 

15 



16 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

salvation of the world. In the record of His call- 
ing of the first disciples, each man recognized and 
confessed Him to be the One appointed by God 
for the salvation of men. The individual testimony 
is something like this : "We have found the Messias,'' 
"We have found him of whom Moses in the Law 
and Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth the son 
of Joseph," "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou 
art king of Israel." 

In the fifth and sixth chapters of this Gospel, 
the claims of Christ's divine sonship are fully es- 
tablished by His own convincing and unanswer- 
able testimony. The evidence is overwhelming, 
the logic irresistible, the conclusion beyond a doubt. 
Christ is "the brightness of the Father's glory, the 
express image of his person," "the way, the truth, 
and the life" for a lost, sin-sick, and perishing 
world. Well may this Gospel be called "the Gospel 
for a world of sin." Only a divine Savior can 
bring abiding peace to man. In this Gospel, as no- 
where else in the Bible, is Jesus presented in His 
great purpose of saving sinners. He defines His 
own mission "not to judge the world, but to save 
the world" (Ch. 12:47). His salvation is from 
sin, from bondage, from wrath, from eternal death 
and from the grave. He is represented as bringing 
what the world mostly needs, and can find nowhere 
else, pardon, reconciliation, liberty, peace, power 
and eternal life. Note the "I ams" of this Gospel, 
"I am the way," "I am the light,'' "I am the life," 



Characteristics and Contents 17 

"I am the bread that came down from heaven," 
etc., and one can come to no other conchision than 
that it sets forth Jesus Christ as the only satisfying 
portion of the soul. Some one has truly written: 
"Precious as the synoptic Gospels are, it is hardly 
an exaggeration to say that there was no divine 
Christ until the soul of John, crystal clear, mir- 
rored him to the world." 

2. The Gospel of John is the Soul- Winner's Gos- 
pel, in that it sets forth man's true condition as a 
sinner. According to its teaching man does not 
have to commit any great sins to be finally lost, 
and finally judged. He has sinned, is lost, and 
"hath been judged already." "This is the judg- 
ment that the light is come into the world and 
men loved the darkness rather than the light" (Ch. 
3:18-19). The final outer darkness has already set 
in upon the world, "I am come a light into the 
world, that whosoever believeth on me, may not 
abide in the darkness" (Ch. 12:46). 

In this Gospel, we learn that man in his natural 
sinful state, is spiritually dead, and needs for his 
highest good the true and abiding life. He is by 
nature only the highest creature in the animal king- 
dom, and needs to be "born from above" to see and 
enter the spiritual kingdom (Ch. 3:3). He is in 
helpless bondage b}^ sin, and only if the Son makes 
him free can he be free indeed (Ch. 8:36). 

In the winning of souls, these great fundamental 
truths, so clearly taught in this Gospel, are the nee- 



18 The Soul-Winnee's Gospel 

essary steps in the way of salvation. No man will 
seek salvation unless he grasps, in some measure 
at least, these foundation truths, that he is a sinner, 
helpless and hopeless in himself, and that Christ is 
the only, all-sufficient, and merciful Savior. 

3. The Gospel of John is the Soul-Winner's Gos- 
pel in that it is distinctively a personal Gospel. It 
is largely a record of Christ's conversation with in- 
dividuals. We have here first Christ's conversa- 
tion with the early disciples and the way the}'' were 
led to confess their faith in Him. We have in the 
third chapter the conversation wdth Nicodemus 
which resulted in this noted teacher among men 
and ruler of the Jews becoming a true disciple of 
the Teacher w^ho had come from God. In the 
fourth chapter we have the Savior's conversation 
with the Samaritan woman who was a great sinner, 
but became a penitent believer. We may learn from 
this Gospel that Christ did not depend upon mass 
meetings to save souls. Some of His most vital 
and precious messages were given to single indi- 
viduals. One special characteristic of this Gospel 
is its conversations w^ith single individuals through 
which they individually came to believe in Him. 
In this respect it differs from Matthews' Gospel, 
which contains more the public discourses of the 
Savior, as for instance, the Sermon on the Mount, 
most of our Lord's parables, and His discourses 
on man's future state. If we want to understand 
better the Savior's relation to the soul of the indi- 



Chabactebistics and Contents 19 

vidual, sinner as well as saint, then we must study 
this Gospel. It is distinctively a personal Gospel. 
It has a personal message for each individual soul. 
4. It may be further said that John's Gospel 
is the Soul-Winner's Gospel in that it sets forth 
clearly the conditons of salvation. Perhaps we 
should sa}^ condition of salvation, for there is really 
only one conditon, and that is faith in Jesus 
Christ as the Son of God, and the Savior of the 
world. But the faith that saves, according to this 
Gospel, is something more than an intellectual as- 
sent to the truth, and one must carefully ascertain 
what John means by believing in Christ. The 
meaning of that word, the sense in which it is used 
by Christ and the author of this Gospel, can be 
learned from an accurate and discriminative study 
of some of the passages contained in the Gospel 
where the word ''believe" occurs. The first occur- 
rence of the word is chapter 1 :12 : "But as many 
as received him to them, gave he the right to 
become children of God, even to them that believe 
on His name." It is evident from this passage 
that the "receiving" of Christ is synonymous with 
believing on His name. The belief in Christ which 
results in a new birth and spiritual sonship, is an 
intelligent, deliberate reception of Jesus Christ as 
one's personal Savior, and a surrender of one's life 
to Him. The act may be illi^'strated with the 
marriage relationship in which a woman takes de- 
liberately, a certain man to be her husband, and 



20 The Soul- Win nek's Gospel 

gives herself to him as long as she lives. The faith 
in Christ which brings salvation involves not only 
the reception of Him, but also the surrender of one's 
self to Him. In chapter 2:24, we read, "Jesus did 
not commit himself unto them because he knew all 
men." The Revised Version reads, "He did not 
trust himself unto them." The Greek word is "pis- 
tueo," commonly translated believe. It would not 
be straining the sense if one said, "He did not be- 
lieve himself unto them." According to the author's 
meaning, then, heUeving in Christ implies a commit- 
ment of oneself to him as the man in assuming the 
marriage relationship commits himself to the wife, 
and the wife to her husband, or as the patient en- 
trusts himself to the physician. The faith that 
saves, according to John's Gospel, is not only a 
reception of Christ and surrender to Him, but in- 
volves also, obedience. This we learn from chapter 
8:36, where we read, "He that believe th on the Son, 
hath eternal life, but he that obeyeth not (R. V.) the 
Son shall not see life." Obedience is not only a vital 
element in true faith, but is necessary to a correct 
knowledge and understanding of spiritual truth. "If 
any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of 
the teachings, whether it is of God or whether I 
speak from myself" (Ch. 7:17). "I know that His 
commandment is life eternal" (Ch. 12:15). "He 
that doeth the truth cometh to the light" (Ch. 3 :21). 
What then is the plain meaning of faith in this 
Gospel? It is the reception of Christ, and the act 



Characteristics and Contents 21 

of surrender and obedience to His will. The sin 
of unbelief, which according to this Gospel is the 
sin which here and hereafter condemns the sinner, 
is just the opposite of faith. It is the failure to re- 
ceive Christ, and to commit one's self to Him and 
yield the life in obedience to His will, and to the 
will of God. 

5. John's Gospel is the Soul-Winner's Gospel in 
that it is adapted to all ages, all classes, all cases. 
It contains the profounclest and at the same time, 
the simplest truths of Christianity. It contains doc- 
trines that confound teachers and rulers like Nico- 
demus, it has the life-giving stream for poor, ig- 
norant sinners like the Samaritan woman, and it has 
lesson stories for children, like the parable of the 
Good Shepherd. The Gospel abounds with assur- 
ances of God's love, purpose and willingness to 
save all Avho want to be saved. 

There is no attempt here to cover all the ground 
for personal workers, nor to prescribe spiritual rem- 
edies for all cases of spiritual ailment, but rather to 
select the specific remedies that can be prescribed 
with confidence for the most common cases of sin- 
sick souls. 

The writer clain:is to be no expert or specialist. 
His chief desire is to be of some service to young 
and inexperienced practitioners, setting forth as 
clearly as possible the saving truths of the Gospel, 
and illustrating from personal incidents liow the 



22 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

Holy Spirit has used these truths, and will continue 
to use them in converting souls to Christ. 

In summarizing the contents of this Gospel, we 
reaffirm that it presents, as no other Bible book, 
Jesus Christ, the clearest revelation of God, the 
only Savior of sinners, "the way, the truth, and 
the life," through Whose love, purpose, power, and 
willingness to save, there has been offered for ages, 
and there Avill continue to be offered to the end of 
the world, to all conditions, classes and grades of 
sinful men, hope, forgiveness and eternal life. 

Could we know the history of this Gospel, could 
we know in each instance wdiat truth led to saving 
faith, could we have the record of soul-saving re- 
vivals, as the recording angel has that record, we 
would no doubt find that the birth of souls in the 
kingdom of Christ has resulted chiefly from the 
presentation of its precious spiritual and eternal 
truths. 



CHAPTER II. 

JOHN — EVANGELIST, AUTHOR, APOSTLE. . 

Among the New Testament writers and apostles, 
the Apostle John is universally acknowledged to 
have been the most like Christ. The early Greek 
writers called him the "Leaner on Jesus' bosom," 
or, as we would say now, the "bosom friend of our 
Lord." He experienced and appreciated more than 
others, the love of Christ. To this, his ow^n love 
responded in a remarkable degree. He could not 
have left to the world, the wondeful portraiture of 
the Son of God, had he not known Him so inti- 
mately, loved Him so fervently and grown so much 
to be like Him. Beholding the glory of the Lord, 
he was transformed into the same image. No one 
can study his character without being impressed 
with the fact that this sacred vniter had a samtly 
soul. 

The purpose of this chapter is to trace the growth 
and form a right estimate, if we can, of that life 
which, under the transforming power of Christ's 
love and the Holy Spirit's influence, was developed 
into superior spiritual strength and beauty. The 
Master, in choosing His apostles, selected the most 
promising natural material, though undeveloped and 
unpolished. John stood foremost in their rank. 

23 



24 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

Had he not possessed a valuable natural asset, he 
could not have become, without something of a 
miracle, the great, loving apostle. 

Childhood Influences. 

We notice first, that John's life started with a 
favorable environment. His early surroundings 
supplied the conditions and atmosphere that give 
rise to the noblest characters. He was born perhaps 
in the small town of Bethsaida, on the border of 
Lake Gallilee. His parents were not rich, nor op- 
pressed with poverty, but in eas}^ circumstances. 
Their home was out in the open air, and they Avere 
not doomed to breathe the pent-up atmosphere of a 
congested city. Zebedee, the father, a fisherman by 
trade, had an outdoor, invigorating occupation. The 
scenery in which John was reared was picturesque 
and lovely, well suited to awaken in his young im- 
agination what was wholesome, pure and inspiring. 
The breezes of the hills and of the sea, the vision 
of the fields, the inspiration and invigoration which 
came from "God's-out-of-doors" gave the boy a 
favorable start, and laid the foundation of a healthy 
body and clear mind. These are essential to moral 
and mental greatness. Philosophers maintain, not 
without reason, that usually grand sceneries account 
for grand souls. To John's youthful eyes nature 
towered in her most lovely and majestic aspects, and 
spoke to him in the wail of the trees, in the howl 
of the winds, in the roaring of the sea. The founda- 



John: Evangelist, Author, Apostle 25 

tion of a child's education are his early, soul-stirring 
impressions. John's earliest impressions must have 
been wholesome and inspiring. 

His Father. 

In addition to a favorable earh^ environment, 
John was fortunate in having a companionable 
father. There is no reason to doubt that Zebedee 
was in the habit of taking with him day by day, 
his two sons, James and John, as he sailed in the 
skiff, toiled at his nets, breathed the invigorating sea 
air, training them to industry, and making them 
thoroughly acquainted with his occupation, so that at 
an early age, they became his partners in business. 
Is this not an ideal relationship between father and 
son? The loving, intimate companionship of a true 
father is the son's greatest safeguard and blessing. 
The son who starts out in life without this asset 
is greatly at a disadvantage. 

His Mother. 

The chief blessing of John's boyhood, and that 
which best prepared him for his great apostleship 
was his godly mother, Salome. That her influence 
was great in her household may be safely concluded 
from the fact that both her sons became followers 
and apostles of Christ. The record tells us that the 
mother was one of the devoted attendants of Christ 
on His misionary journeys, ministering to Him of 
her substance. The influence of her godly life must 



26 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

have been great upon her sons. A mother, more 
than any other finite force, shapes the mind, molds 
the character, and rules the destiny of the boy. A 
young life is like plastic clay in her hands. Nearly 
all great men have had great mothers. James and 
John were singularl}^ blessed in having a mother 
devoted to her sons, and at the same time devoted 
to the cause of the Lord. Let us not misjudge her 
from the one incident on record (Matt. 20:20) in 
which she made request that her two sons might 
sit, the one on the right hand, and the other on the 
left of Christ in His kingdom, as if, on that occa- 
sion she made a selfish request, wanting her sons to 
be favorites in the new administration. This is not 
a true inference. Granting that she shared with her 
sons somewhat of a personal ambition, there was no 
doubt a deeper motive than that which appeared on 
the surface. The incident occurred during Christ's 
last journey. He had foretold the approaching in- 
sults and sufferings. A panic had seized the dis- 
ciples. Some were disposed to abandon His cause. 
Judas was about to make peace with the enemies of 
Jesus. Salome's faith alone penetrated the darkness 
and saw the clear sky beyond the storm. She de- 
sired that her two sons might be loyal to the end, 
follow Christ through persecution and suffering, 
make the sacrifice required, and thus win the chief 
crowns in the coming kingdom. When the matter 
was put up to the sons, they expressed their willing- 
ness to receive His baptism of suffering, in order to 



John: Evangelist, Authok, Apostle 27 

share finally His reign of glory. Their subsequent 
loyalty was inspired and sustained to a large degree 
by the clear, calm, unwavering faith of their de- 
voted mother at this particular crisis. 

In analyzing John's character, there is an unmis- 
takable impress of his mother's influence. He had 
much of a woman's nature. He was retiring rather 
than demonstrative; receptive rather than origina- 
tive; intuitive rather than logical. He was sympa- 
thetic, gentle, loving, kind. These qualities came 
from the mother's side of the household. Fortunate 
is the lad who can start life as John did, with a 
favorable environment, a companionable father, and 
a godly, consecrated Christian mother. 

His CONVEESION. 

The greatest transfomation that came in John's 
life, came through a personal contact and relation- 
ship with Christ. It is doubtful whether John ever 
had an experience we call conversion, in the sense 
of a definite change of life and conduct, a turning 
about from a life of sin to the service of God. From 
his early youth, John's face was turned toward 
God, and a conversion like that of Saul of Tarsus 
could not be expected in his case. Nevertheless, 
John had the experience of personally appropriat- 
ing Christ as his Savior, and definitely identifying 
himself with His cause. Fie was first a disciple of 
John the Baptist, who preached the near approach 
of the Messiah, saying: "Prepare ye the way of 



28 The Soul-Winner's Gospel - 

the Lord," "He shall baptize you with the Holy 
Ghost and with fire." One day Christ personally 
appeared, and John the Baptist pointed Him out to 
his disciples, saying: "Behold the Lamb of God that 
taketh away the sin of the world." The next day, 
looking earnestly at Christ, John the Baptist re- 
peated the words in the presence of, and to John and 
Andrew, "Behold the Lamb of God." They were 
so impressed that Christ was the promised Redeemer, 
the sin-bearer of the world, that they decided to 
follow Him. They spent that day with Christ alone. 
It was a memorable experience, the turning point 
in John's life. He never forgot the Baptist's mes- 
sage which led him to Christ. In the book of Reve- 
lation, he refers to Christ twenty-six times as the 
sacrificial Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the 
world. In his Gospel, he mentions the verj^ hour 
when he and Andrew joined Christ to spend the 
day with Him. Whether we call that experience 
"conversion" or not, it certainly was a change in 
their lives, the day of their salvation. From that 
memorable day and hour, Christ became a personal, 
living reality w^ith them, the promised Redeemer 
with whose cause they became permanently identified. 

Apostleship. 

John's first call (John 1 :37-40) seems to have 
been a call to discipleship, or, as we w^ould say 
now, to become a Christian. He remained in his 
daily occupation as fisherman until several months 



John: Evangelist, Author, Apostle 29 

later, when Jesus called him to become an attendant 
upon His ministry. This was his second call (Matt. 
4:21-22). Still later when Christ called the twelve 
to be His apostles, John received a third call which 
was to apostleship, and w^ith James was surnamed 
"Boanerges," sons of thunder (Mark 3:17). Their 
surname, like that of Simon, surnamed Peter, 
was indicative not so much of their present qualities 
of character, as it was prophetic of what they would 
be and do later through the power of the Holy 
Spirit. 

Apostolic Labors. 

From the Apostleship of John to the end of his 
long and eventful life, we can give only the following 
brief s3aiopsis : 

1. He was a witness of the raising of Jairus' daughter 

(Luke 8:49-56). 

2. He was an eye witness of Christ's majesty at the 

transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-9). 

3. He complained to Jesus of one, not a disciple, work- 

ing miracles (Mark 9:38). 

4. He and his brother proposed to call down fire from 

heaven on the Samaritans who rejected Christ's mis- 
sion (Luke 9:51-56). 

5. He asked privately about future events (Mark 13:3-5). 

6. He was sent with Peter to Jerusalem from Bethany to 

prepare the Passover (Luke 22:8). 

7. He refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus 

loved (John 13:23). 

8. He witnessed Christ's agony in the Garden (Matt. 

26:36-46. 

9. At the trial of Jesus, being known to the High Priest, 

he gained admittance for Peter, but he alone, re- 
mained loyal to the end (John 18:15). 



30 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

10. At the cross, Jesus committed to him the care of His 

mother (John 19:15, 27). 

11. With Peter at the empty sepulcher, he became the first 

of the twelve to believe in the Resurrection (John 
20:1-10). 

12. He was one of the seven at the Sea of Gallilee after 

the Resurrection (John 21:20, 24). 
18. After Pentecost he became associated with Peter in 
the performance of the first miracle, in preaching 
Christ to the people, in being persecuted, arrested, 
put in custody, thrust into the common prison, and 
being miraculously delivered, they continued to teach 
and preach from house to house (Acts III-V). 

14. During the persecution in which Stephen became the 

first Christian martyr, and the believers were scat- 
tered abroad, John remained with the rest of the 
apostles at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). 

15. He was sent to Samaria with Peter to bear apostolic 

witness to the extension of the Gospel to the Sama- 
ritans, praying now that the Samaritans might re- 
ceive the Holy Spirit, instead of proposing as be- 
fore, to call down fire from heaven upon them 
(Acts 8:14). 

16. He became leader, if not the chief member in the 

Apostolic Synod at Jerusalem (Acts 15). 

17. He gave to Paul and Barnabus "the right hand of fel- 

lowship" as himself a "pillar" in the church (Gal. 
2:9). 

18. He continued to reside at Jerusalem, having charge of 

our Lord's mother until her death, which, according 
to Eusebius, took place A. D. 48. 

It is not unlikely that John remained at Jerusa- 
lem until the final imprisonment or death of Paul, 
about 64 A. D.,, after which he left Jerusalem to 
reside at Ephesus. At Ephesus, we find him alone 
on the stage of action for nearly forty years, and 
completing a life of continuous service for his Mas- 
ter of about seventy years. During his last years 
at Ephesus, he wrote his Gospel and epistles, and 



John: Evangelist, Authoe, Apostle 31 

perhaps also the "Revelation" which he received at 
Patmos during his exile on that island. He is said 
to have died at Ephesus at the age of ninety-eight, 
or about one hundred years. 

Apostle of Love. 

As Paul has been called the apostle of faith, 
Peter the apostle of hope, James the apostle of prac- 
tical work, so John has been distinguished by the 
title, "apostle of love." In justification of that title, 
the writer proposes, in closing this sketch, to call 
attention to the nature of the love which was so dis- 
tinctively the theme of his Gospel, and the chief 
characteristic of his own life. 

In analyzing John's love, we must avoid two ex- 
tremes — first over-emphasizing his naturally loving 
disposition, under-estimating what divine grace did 
for him, and on the other hand, we must not regard 
him of a natural fiery temper, whose nature was 
radically and completely changed by grace. John's 
nature shows consistency and continuity, while at 
the same time Christian love grew to be in him a 
transforming,purifying power until it became the 
very atmosphere of his soul. His love from the first 
Avas like a woman's love in its passionate attachment 
to an ideal. God's love as revealed in Christ was 
his ideal, and his own nature became absorbed and 
satisfied in its object. He not only perceived the 
divine love, but realized that it was for him, and 
with his whole nature, he was drawn toward it. 



32 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

He wrote from a personal experience Avhen he said, 
"A¥e love him because he first loved ns." His love 
to Christ was a personal devotion, wholly lost in its 
object. Such love is not at first broadly sympathetic 
with others. It takes time for love to broaden and 
go forth as it should toward one's fellow men. 
This explains John's proposal in the early part of 
his discipleship to call down wrath from heaven 
upon the Samaritan village wliich w^ould not receive 
his Lord. In his personal devotion to One so great 
and worthy, his undeveloped Christian nature re- 
sented the indignity of others. In this connection, 
let it be remembered that Christian love is not any- 
thing, soft and sentimental, incapable of being 
aroused at times to indignation. When it clashes 
with persistent wickedness, it may turn into a right- 
eous indignation, which is not inconsistent with a 
disposition to love and to do good. A man may get 
angry without having an irritable disposition. There 
is an important difference between a Christian man 
angry and an angry man. The nature of the latter 
runs into gall, Avith occasional suppression, whereas 
the nature of the former runs into love, and flashes 
forth anger only when divine love is spurned and its 
purpose is thwarted. The sinless anger from a lov- 
ing nature is like fire from flint which is drawn out 
with difficulty, and soon becomes extinct. The le- 
gitimate anger of the Christian is described b}^ Paul 
when he sa3^s: "Be ye angry and sin not; let not the 
sun go down upon your wrath (Gr. provocation), 



John: Evangelist, Authok, Apostle 33 

neither give place to the devil." While John had a 
naturally loving disposition, his love toward men 
was something which had to be cultivated and per- 
fected. If it was narrow and did not fully con- 
trol him at first, it should not count against him. 
His love to God was a spontaneous outflow of his 
nature, but his love toward men in the manner that 
God loves men, was a growth with him. He felt its 
force, and enjoined it upon others as a command 
from Christ, as something that had to be cultivated 
Avith prayerfulness and diligence till it mellowed 
and molded one's life into the character of Christ. 
"This commandment have we from him, that he that 
loveth God, love his brother also." John's love, 
Avhi'ch was primarily to God, was quickened and in- 
spired by the love and command of Christ, till 
finally he loved his fellowmeu in the manner that 
God loved them. To be like Christ is to be like 
Him in love. Perfection in Christian character is 
perfection in love. "Ye therefore, shall be perfect 
as your Heavenly Father is perfect." The perfec- 
tion of God's love is shown in that "He maketh 
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth 
rain on the just and the unjust." John's love grew 
more and more like that, Tintil all his thoughts were 
generated in that region, and every sentence that he 
wrote was with a pen dipped in love. He became 
truly Christlike in his love. Tradition says that 
when he had reached his extremest old age, he be- 
came too feeble to walk to the meetings, and was 



34 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

carried to them by young men. He could no longer 
say much, but he constantly repeated the words, 
"Little children love one another." When he was 
asked why he constantly repeated these words, his 
answer was, "Because this is the command of our 
Lord, and enough is done if but this one thing is 
done." What a transformation as we trace that life 
from its beginning; what a wonderful spiritual 
growth through discipline and diAdne grace, and 
what a crowning glory at the end. "Oh wonderful 
power of love," says Novalis, "Organ of all spiritual 
knowledge, eye of the soul by which we gaze on 
God." 

"Changed from glory into glory. 
Till in heaven we take our place 
Till we cast our crowns before Thee, 
Lost in AYonder, love and praise." 



CHAPTEE III 

THE TRUE LIGHT 

That was the true light which lighteth every man that 
Cometh into the world ( John 1:9). 

There was the true light even the light which lighteth every 
man, coming into the world (R. V.). 

Before we come to the direct and specific appli- 
cation of John's Gospel to the different types of the 
unsaved, it may be profitable to study the symbol- 
ism of light under which our author here presents 
the divine Redeemer. He uses the word, "light," 
six times in the opening nine verses of the chapter. 
It is his favorite metaphor in both his Gospel 
and Epistles. Light symbolizes most fittingly 
Christ's advent and influence in the world. The 
metaphor is taken from the prophesy of Isaiah. 
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a 
great light." "I will give thee for a light to the 
Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation to the 
end of the earth." "Arise, shine, thy light is 
come." "Nations shall come to the brightness of 
thy rising" (Is. 9:6; 49:6; 60:1-3). 

Our Lord appropriated this prophetic symbolism 
of Himself, saying: "I am the light of the world; 
he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, 
but shall have the light of life" (John 8 :12). "While 

35 



36 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

ye have the light believe in the light that ye may 
become sons of light" (John 12:36). 

It is not strange that John the disciple should be 
profound^: and increasingly impressed with this 
symbolic representation. What the sun is to the 
material world, that Christ is to the moral and 
spiritual world. 

Without attempting to draw forth from this 
Scripture the fine shades of meaning that the orig- 
inal indicates, let it suffice to say that Christ is 
here presented primarily and chiefly as the revealer 
of truth and of the nature and will of God. It is the 
chief function of light to reveal things. It has 
been defined as "That form of energy, which, acting 
upon the organs of sight, renders visible the objects 
from which it proceeds." It has also been defined as 
"That medium in nature by means of which things 
outside or objective to us are made visible." Accord- 
ing to these definitions, Christ as the Light reveals 
God the Father, from <vhom He came forth. He is 
designated as the "Word," suggesting that as words 
reveal the thoughts of the mind, so Christ reveals 
the thoughts and purposes of God. 

The light of the sun not onl}^ "reveals the object 
from which it proceeds," but also "renders visible" 
objects in the world about us. In like manner, 
Christ reveals not only God the Father, but human 
relationship, duty and destiny. In a world of darl?:- 
ness and danger His light is the guide of our lives. 

He is said to be the true light. The word true is 



The True Light 37 

used here, not as distinct from a false light, which 
fails to show things as they really are. The Greek 
word translated true^ conveys a different idea. 
Christ is the true light in the sense that He is the 
great, original light from which other lights are 
but a reflection, and are on that account more or 
less imperfect. Two different Greek words bring out 
beautifully that distinction. Christ was the true, 
original, independent light. John the Baptist was 
merely a lamp or reflector. Christ is the great "Sun 
of Righteousness" in the world and His disciples are 
reflectors or luminaries whose light is a borrowed 
light land consequently, less clear and bright than 
the original. 

Under the symbolism of the true light, our author 
teaches us that Christ is the clearest revelation of 
God to man. This revelation is more comprehensive, 
extensive and universal than is commonly supposed. 
The true light shone to "lighten every man," even 
before Christ appeared in the flesh. The first part 
of the chapter deals entirely with Christ's pre- 
existence. Christ, as the Light which was in the 
world from the beginning, was not fully appre- 
hended and appreciated by the world, but those who 
did receive Him became the children of God (V. 12). 
When finally the Word was made flesh and taber- 
nacled among men, the grace and truth of God tlie 
Father became clearly and gloriously revealed (Y. 
14). It was a special mianifestation as when hidden 
fire bursts forth into sight. 



38 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

May we not conclude from the text that God still 
reveals Himself through Christ, even where the 
story of the incarnation has not yet been made 
known ? "The Light of Asia" is only a reflection of 
the Light of the world. Its rays also penetrated 
"Darkest Africa" before any Christian missionaries 
appeared as its witnesses. Forign missionaries and 
the church at large are recognizing that fact today as 
it has never been recognized before. 

The true light shines in every man through his 
reason and conscience, in his religious and moral 
nature and in his experience. Whatever of virtue, 
truth, or knowledge of God we may find anywhere 
in the world, comes from this same source. God 
has not left Himself anywhere without a witness. 

What is called the light of nature is the light of 
God, revealing Himself through the dim conscious- 
ness of all men. The church does not send mission- 
aries to foreign lands because their inhabitants are 
destitute of all truth and piety, but because the true 
light is so dimly reflected among them that they 
need for salvation, the clearer revelation of the in- 
carnate Son of God ; His life upon earth, His teach- 
ing among men. His death upon the cross. His res- 
urrection from the grave. His ascension to the 
Fiather and His promised return in glory for the 
complete redemption of His believing disciples. The 
world could not truly know God until He appeared 
in some visible form. Idolatry is an unconscious, 
blind effort to embody the deity in a way; that He 



The Teue Light 39 

may be better known. By the incarnation God 
made Himself known as He really is. It is proof 
that He wanted to be known. Christ is His clearest 
manifestation. We may never know God in any 
other way except as He reveals Himself through 
Christ. "He that hath seen the Son hath seen the 
Father." In the Son we have "the brightness of his 
Father's glory and the express image of his person." 
The Christian church has been commissioned by its 
Great Head to carry the news of this revelation 
everywhere. "Ye are the light of the world." The 
heathen world is waiting for Christian light-bearers. 

"Shall we whose souls are lighted, 
With wisdom from on high, 
Shall we to men benighted. 
The lamp of life deny?" 

The true light has shined upon us, that like John 
the Baptist, we may "bear witness of that light" and 
are "sent from God" to carry it to the farthest 
ends of the earth. It is the privilege of every dis- 
ciple to let the light shine in him and through him 
that it may lighten and attract everyone who has 
not fully yielded to its saving influence. Others 
can see only what is reflected in the lives of Christ- 
ians. "Let your light so shine." Let the rays be 
concentrated until many a one is led to exclaim: 

"Once I was blind but now I can see; 
The light of the world is Jesus." 

In the study of astronomy, we learn that among 



40 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

the millions of blinking stars called "variables," 
there is one which never changes, Polaris or the 
North Star, by which all mariners sail, whose light 
throughout the ages has shined undimmed and un- 
diminished. So in the spiritual constellation, Christ 
is the polar star of our faith "With whom there 
is no variableness neither shadow of turning," "the 
true light which lighteth every man that cometh into 
the world." 



CHAPTEE IV. 



THE FIRST STEP IN SALVATION. 

*But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the 
right) to become the sons {children) of God, even to them that 
believe on his name: Which {who) were born, not of blood, 
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 
—John 1 : 12-13. 

This passage comes first not only in the natural 
order of salvation, but also in its significance and 
importance. It is the center of the Gospel's circum- 
ference. There is no Gospel preaching or teaching 
which does not revolve upon this axis of spiritual 
truth. The personal appropriation of Christ marks 
the starting point and indicates the first step which 
a sinner must take toward his salvation. The re- 
ceiving of Christ must be prior to baptism, con- 
fession, confirmation, church membership, or any- 
thing else on the program of religious requirements. 
When the multitude asked Jesus "What must we 
do that we may work the Avorks of God?" Jesus 
answered, "This is the work of God, that jq believe 
on Him whom He hath sent" (John 6:29-30). 

When a sinner asks "What must I do to be saved?" 
he must be shown that there is nothing which he 



*Parenthetical clauses indicate the American revised transla- 
tion. The scriptural quotations are also chiefly from tht 
American Revised A''ersion. 

41 



42 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

can do to secure the favor of God, but to believe on 
and receive the Christ. When one comes to feel his 
need of salvation, the natural desire is to do some- 
thing which will commend him to God, and there are 
many things which he may do which in themselves 
are commendable, but which do not bring salvation. 
An inquirer should never be told to do anything 
which he may do, and notwithstanding, remain un- 
saved. He may quit drinking, swearing, gambling, 
lying and refrain from many other evils, but refor- 
mation is not salvation. The difference is a differ- 
ence between being white- washed and being washed 
white. Christ's work of salvation begins from 
within. One may enter upon a course of religious 
duties, give to church support, attend its meetings, 
help the poor, visit the sick, read his Bible, keep 
the Sabbath; he may do all these things and much 
more, and still remain unsaved. When a man seeks 
salvation, care should be taken not to start him on 
a course of good works, as though these would lead 
him gradually into a state of salvation. According 
to the teaching of the passage before us, there is 
only one way for an adult to become a Christian, 
and that is by deliberately and intelligently accept- 
ing Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, and the 
commitment of his life to Him. Our text is of 
special value in that it explains what it is to helieve 
on Christ so as to secure salvation. Believmg on 
Christ is the receiving of Christ. The receiving of 
Christ is the believing on Him as He is revealed in 



The First Step in Salvation 43 

this Gospel, the Son of God, the life and light of 
men, the Savior of the world. True belief carries 
with it the idea of self -surrender, and the spirit of 
obedience, as was fully explained in Chapter I of 
this book. Belief and unbelief as related to Christ 
and His claims are much more than intellectual as- 
sent to, or dissent from the truth. It is a personal 
relationship, and involves our obeying or disobeying 
His commands, our accepting or rejecting His 
claims, our esteeming or despising His proffered 
mercies. The belief that saves is confidence in 
Christ, and the unbelief that condemns,, or leaves 
one in a state of condemnation is want of confidence 
in Him. Assent to the truth is important only as 
it prepares the way for entering into fellowship 
with Christ. Saving faith is more than mere mental 
assent; it is a conviction which influences action. 
You may believe what you will about Christ, but 
you are invited to believe in Him, or as the Greek 
puts it, believe into Him. Faith is the power of re- 
ceptivity. It is the open door and open Avindow 
on the south side of the house of the soul, so that 
the light and warmth of the eternal sun may pour 
in on us. In that union with the living Christ is 
salvation, and nowhere else. No one is qualified 
to deal intelligently with inquirers unless he has 
a clear conception of faith in the sense in which it 
is used by the author in this Gospel. When once 
a sinner has taken the first step in salvation, namely, 
believed on Christ in the sense of receiving Him, 



44 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

entrusting himself to Him, Avith the disposition to 
do His will, as illustrated in the prayer of Saul of 
Tarsus, "What shall I do, Lord?" — which surren- 
der to the will of Christ was the pivotal point in 
Saul's conversion — then the other religious steps 
will naturally follow, bringing assurance and joy 
through the witness of the Holy Spirit. A man 
must first believe Avith the heart unto righteousness 
before the joy of salvation comes through a con- 
fession (Rom. 10:10). 

The folloAving story of a conversion, which the 
writer recalls vividty in its esentia] details, furnishes 
a concrete illustration of the point Avhich Ave are 
here discusing, namely, that the first step Avhich a 
sinner must take in getting into right relationship 
Avith God is the receiving of God's Son, and the 
surrender of his life to Him. The conversion Avas 
that of a young woman who had been attending 
some union cA^angelistic meetings. She had given 
every evidence of sincerity, and had come forAvard 
to the altar three successive CA^enings, but with no 
resultant light or progress in the Avay of salvation. 
It Avas evident that there should be some sort of 
diagnosis of her case to ascertain the difficulty in 
the way. At evangelistic services, there are often 
too many persons to prescribe Avithout any attempt 
at a diagnosis to find out Avhat particular remedy 
is needed. That seemed to be the trouble at this 
time. I asked permission to have a conference at 
her home. The request Avas granted, and the hour 



The First Step in Salvation 45 

was set. From some inquiries which I had pre- 
viously made regarding the family I became con- 
vinced that this daughter had been reared in a church 
and family atmosphere in which too great stress 
had been placed on the experimental part in con- 
version. Upon my arrival at the home, I found no 
little prejudice against me, on account of being the 
pastor in another denomination. First of all, I 
had to allay this prejudice and to assure them that 
I did not mean to intrude or to proselytize. I found 
the prejudice strongest in the mother, who seemed 
at first jealous at my apparent encroachment. When 
I ventured the half -questioning remark in approach- 
ing the subject of religion that she no doubt would 
be a happy mother if her daughter became a Christ- 
ian, she said: "I want my daughter to become a 
Christian, but when she becomes a Christian, I want 
her to know^ it." She quoted the familiar })assage, 
"The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit 
that we are the children of God." Concurring in 
her statement that a person may know when he is 
a Christian, I asked permission to converse with 
the daughter alone. I felt that little or no progress 
could be made with the mother's interruptions. The 
daughter had been well posted by her mother, and 
was not to be persuaded into the belief of a con- 
version unless she could have a definite and clear 
assurance thereof. When I asked, "Do you reall}^ 
and sincerely desire to be a Christian?" she replied, 
"Yes, I do, but I want to knoAV that T am a Christ- 



46 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

ian because the Bible says, "The Spirit himself bear 
eth witness with our spirit that we are the children 
of God.' " I acquiesced in her statement, and pro- 
ceeded with another question — "Are you now a 
Christian?" "I am not," was her unhesitating reply. 
I ventured further, "You cannot expect then that 
the Spirit of God will witness with your spirit 
that you are a child of God unless you have become 
a child of God." I explained the fact that the Holy 
Spirit is called "the Spirit of Truth" and that He 
would never testify that she was a child of God so 
long as she herself admitted that she did not stand 
in that relationship to God. The woman was silent, 
and gave evidence of revolving new thoughts in her 
mind, which made the position which she had hith- 
erto held less tenable. It became clear to her that 
something needed to be done before she had a right 
to expect the Avitness of the Spirit. I remained 
silent for a little time, leaving her wholly and prayer- 
fully to the Spirit's work in her heart and mind. 
Then came the question for which I had waited: 
"What can I do to become a Christian?" In answer 
to that question, I held her to the passage, "As 
manj^ as received Him to them gave He the right to 
become the children of God." She saw her duty, 
took the first step, and soon became an assured and 
happy Christian. 

The conversion of this woman is an illustration 
how there can be no witness of the Spirit until 
there is an acceptance of the living Christ. No 



The First Step in Salvation 47 

one can expect an experience of conversion unless 
he first becomes converted. 

The passage in consideration plainly contradicts 
the position taken by some who teach that there are 
four steps in salvation, namely, repentance, belief, 
confession and baptism. We use the word salvation 
here in a restricted sense, in which the meaning be- 
comes synonymous with conversion, or becoming a 
Christian. The experience is that of getting into a 
right relationship with God, being pardoned, ac- 
cepted and adopted into His family. The passage 
teaches that there is but one step to enter into this 
saving relationship, and that that one step is the 
deliberate, sincere, intelligent acceptance of Jesus 
Christ as Savior and King, and the surrender of 
one's life in a willing obedience. 

I recall la minister in the town of my pastorate, 
whose favorite and frequent subject in preaching 
was some phase of Christian union. When asked 
one time to join in union Gospel meetings, he hesi- 
tated and held aloof. On being pressed for a reason, 
he frankly stated that he could not enter heartilj^ 
into such a movement, because if the question should 
be asked by any one, "What must I do to be saved?" 
his answer would have to differ from that of others. 
I maintained that the one answer to this all-im- 
portant question was found in John 1.12, and that 
there ought to be no difference on that point. In 
the discussion of this passage which followed, he 
tried to defend his position by quoting the Ee vised 



48 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

Version', which reads, "To them gave He the right 
to become the children of God," which as he affirmed 
did not mean that they become actually and in a 
full sense the children of God. Such sophism in 
scriptural interpretation to fit in with a preconceived 
notion and theory is calculated to do violence to 
the simplest and most vital declaration of the Gos- 
pel. What can describe more clearly and convinc- 
ingly the relationship of those who receive Christ 
than the language of Scripture that they are "born 
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the 
will of man, but of God." 

The passage under consideration has often proved 
instructive and helpful to those "who through fear 
of death * * * are subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:15). 
I remember a good sister belonging to that class, 
who gave every evidence of being a child of God, 
but was living in constant fear of sudden death. 
She had the idea that if death should come to her 
suddenly, she might be guilty of some sin of which 
she had not repented, and thus w^ould forfeit sal- 
vation. I asked her whether she had gotten her 
ideas from the Bible. It was self-evident that she 
could cite no scriptural authority. She was at a loss 
to account for her uncomfortable belief. I asked 
her then whether in the relation to her young 
daughter, that daughter ceased to be her child when 
she did wrong, and then as soon as she repented of 
her misdeed, became her child again. The illustra- 
tion had its designed effect. "Oh," she exclaimed. 



The First Step in Salvation 49 

"if I could think in that way of my relationship 
to God, I would be happy all the time." Suffice 
it to say, that this new conception of her relation- 
ship to God made her a happy Christian, living 
thereafter no longer in bondage through fear. 
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth 
out fear, because fear hath torment; (punishment) 
and he that feareth is not made perfect in love" 
(1 John 4 :18) . In our changed relationship through 
faith in Christ, God gave us not a spirit of fearful- 
ness; but of power and love and discipline (2 Tim. 
1 :7). Christ who is the Author will also be the Fhi- 
isher of our faith. 

"His love in time past 
Forbids me to think 
He'll leave me at last 
In trouble to sink; 

Each sweet Ebenezer, 

I have in review 
Confirms his good pleasure 

To help me quite through." 



CHAPTEE V. 

THE NEW BIRTH. 

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again 
{except one he horn anew), he cannot see the kingdom of God, 
. . . Except a man (one) be born of water and of the Spirit, 
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. . . . Marvel not 
that I said unto thee. Ye must be born again (anew, or from 
above) . — John 3 : 3-5, 7. 

In the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus, as 
narrated and commented upon by John in the third 
chapter of his Gospel, we have the main doctrinal 
teachings of the New Testament; God's love to the 
world, Christ's atonemnt for sin, justification by 
faith, regeneration by the Spirit, eternal life for the 
believer, and condemnation for the unbelicA^er. It 
is the chief chapter for evangeli.^tic preaching, and 
one with which every Christian worker should be 
thoroughly familiar. 

It is the purpose of the writer to set forth in 
this chapter as clearl}^ as possible the doctrine of 
the new birth, here enunciated, to indicate how it 
should be applied, and to furnish a few illustrations 
of its use in personal work. 

The common expressions, a "new birth,," "spirit- 
ual birth," la "new heart," a "change of heart," "re- 
generation"; all signify the same work, which must 
take place before a man can enter, or even see the 
kingdom of God. This is the incontrovertible teach- 

50 



The New Birth 51 

ing of the authoritative Teacher. When Evangelist 
Dwight L. Moody was labout to preach on this sub- 
ject at one of his great meetings in Chicago, before 
announcing his text, he asked all who believed that 
Jesus taught the truth of God to raise their right 
hand. To all appearance, the hand of everj^ man 
and woman in that large audience was lifted. If 
one believes Christ on other matters, then to be con- 
sistent, he must believe Him when He teaches the 
necessity of a new birth as the condition of salva- 
tion. Persons may not like this doctrine, they may 
ignore it, or it may confound and confuse them, as 
it did Nicodemus, but no one can say that the Bible 
does not teach it. An Edinburgh skeptic cut this 
part out of his Bible, but it remained stamped upon 
his unregenerate heart, and it was not possible for 
him to eradicate it from his mind. 

The change which takes place in regeneration is 
wrought by the Spirit of God. The language of 
the text is "born anew," "born from above," "born 
of the Spirit," "born of God." Here is a statement 
of a great fact, which at the same time is a great 
mystery, but not any more a mystery than the 
natural birth is a mj^stery. Professor Drummond, 
in his chapter on Biogenesis, shows how that a 
"birth from above" is necessary in the natural world, 
before an object can rise out of its own kingdom into 
the kingdom above it. The substances of the mineral 
kingdom can pass into the vegetable kingdom only 
when the vegetable kingdom reaches down and ap- 



52 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

propriates those substances. In like manner do the 
substances from the vegetable kingdom pass into the 
animal kingdom above it. By a similar mysterious 
process Professor Drummond suggests man must 
pass from the lower, natural, animal kingdom into 
the higher, heavenly, spiritual kingdom. Unless a 
man is born from above, he cannot enter the king- 
dom of God. Now if this is the unmistakable 
teaching of the Gospel, in what wa}^ can it be ap- 
plied by the Christian teacher to the unsaved? 
It can be applied effectively in dealing with two 
particular classes, the moralist in the world, and 
the legalist and formalist in the church. When the 
direct question is asked, "Are 3'ou a Christian?" 
there is often an affirmative answer, but when a 
"reason for the hope" is demanded, the answer is 
often unsatisfactory^ One will say, I am a Christ- 
ian because I was baptized in such or such a church. 
Another will say, I am a Christian, because I was 
confirmed at such or such an age; and still another 
will give for his reason the fact that he is a church 
member. Many such persons need to be confronted 
Avitli the question, "Were you born again?" They 
need to be familiarized with the passage, "Except 
a man be born from above, he cannot enter the king- 
dom of God." It is not baptism, confirmation, 
church membership, or moral conduct, but a spirit- 
ual birth that constitutes a Christian. "If iinj man 
is in Christ, there is a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17). 
In this work, God does not repair, but reconstructs. 



The New Birth 53 

Christ did not come to patch up the old, but to 
start from a new basis. His Gospel is not merely 
to mend people, but to have them grow from a new 
life. "Having been begotten again, not of cor- 
ruptible seed, but of incorruptible through the 
Word of God which liveth and abideth" (1 Pet. 
1 :23). Many a legalist and formalist has discovered 
through the enlightenment of this truth that he was 
building his hopes of salvation upon a false founda- 
tion. After a full realization of that fact, he has 
been led to ask, "What must I do to be saved?" 
The moralist needs this same truth for his enlight- 
enment. Nicodemus was a teacher of Israel, a ruler 
of the synagogue, a man of exemplary morality, but 
notwithstanding his superiority among men, tower- 
ing high above them, in moral conduct, Jesus said 
to him and to his class: "Marvel not that I said 
unto thee, ye must be born anew." 

A clear conception of this truth and its right ap- 
plication is necessary not only with reference to its 
use in dealing with the unsaved, but also with ref- 
erence to some Christians to whom the presentation 
of this subject has become not only a source of per- 
plexity, but of doubt and fear concerning the genu- 
ineness of their own faith and experience in the 
Christian life. The Christian worker will often find 
persons whose faith is weak, and whose joy and 
peace have been disturbed by the thought that they 
have never experienced a new birth. How shall we 
interpret this Gospel narrative so as to fortify them 



54 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

in the Christian faith ? Hoav can we help them into 
a true assurance and unclouded hope? 

The}^ need to be informed that in their salvation 
the renewing of the heart is God's work and not 
theirs. They need to be reminded of God's promise 
which reads, "A new heart will I give 3^ou, and a 
new spirit will I put within you" (Ezek. 36:26). 
Then they should be assured that as soon as a man 
will do what the Gospel requires him to do, God 
will keep His promise to give the new heart. The 
mysterious change takes place though a man may not 
become conscious of it, any more than he was con- 
scious of his natural birth. There are many true 
Christians who cannot even give the testimony of 
the Scotch girl who sought admission into the 
church, and who, when asked whether she had ex- 
perienced a change of heart, replied, "I do not 
know that, but I feel that something has changed, 
either my heart or the w^orld, for I have come to love 
the church, and 'care no longer for the pleasures of 
the world." The blind man could not tell how Jesiis 
opened his eyes, but he could say, "One thing I know, 
that, whereas I was blind, now I can see." That 
was all he needed to know, to become known as a 
follower of Christ. 

When Nicodemus became bewildered by the mys- 
tery of the spiritual birth so that he exclaimed, 
"How can these things be?" Jesus, the wdse teacher, 
pointed him to the uplifted cross. Nicodemus' part 
in the work of salvation was made plain when Je- 



The New Birth 55 

sus said: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted 
up, that whosoever believeth in Him may have 
eternal life" (vs. 14, 15). Man's part is to look 
to the cross. "There is life for a look at the cruci- 
fied One.'^ Having once for all committed himself 
to the atoning Savior, he need not be concerned 
about God's part in his salvation. The promise 
reads. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, 
is born of God" (1 John 5:1). When man deliber- 
lately and intelligently believes in Christ in the 
sense of receiving Him and surrendering to Him, 
he can then safely trust God to fulfill His promise 
to give a new heart. We reiterate then that the 
legalist, the formalist, the moralist needs to be 
clearly told that there can be no entrance into the 
kingdom of God without a new birth. On the other 
hand, the sincere inquirers need to be just as clearly 
informed that their only part in salvation is to re- 
ceive Christ. When they have done that, God will 
take care of the rest. 

As an illustration of the foregoing truth, I recall 
distinctly its application to a retired business man, 
la typical moralist, hardened against the truth, and 
hostile to the churches. He had lived and done busi- 
ness in an old town of a few thousand inhabitants, 
where he knew everybody, and where everybody 
seemed to know him. P^ailing health had caused 
his retirement from active service, but much of his 
time was still spent near his former business place, 



56 The Soul- Win nee's Gospel 

or elsewhere in the business portion of the town. 
I had occasion to meet him frequently, and had 
some desire to cultivate his acquaintance, because his 
four daughters were all members of my church. It 
did not take very long, however, to learn of his 
outspoken indifference to religion, and bitter at- 
titude toward the church. This was so pronounced 
that I had little heart or inclination to discuss the 
subject of religion with him, notwithstanding the 
fact that he betrayed an unsatisfied state of mind, 
and showed a disposition at different times to in- 
troduce the subject. I learned from other sources 
that he had become so pronounced against one 
particular church because years before that in a 
disagreement regarding some business transactions 
he had instituted a lawsuit against one of the elders 
of that church, which the elder had won against 
him, — a defeat which ever afterwards had rankled 
and irritated him like a thorn in the flesh. For 
some time I was careful not to rub up against any 
sore spots. No perceptible religious ^Drogress was 
made for some time, only that the conversation 
became easier on different subjects, and a way was 
being paved for the subject of religion. The time 
came when his state of health became more serious, 
and I was told that he had not many months to 
live. I became more interested in him. I felt a 
duty, but the task of influencing him religiously 
appeared hopeless. Never before had I dealt with 
a man so hardened and unimpressionable. I became 



The New Bieth 57 

more and more burdened regarding his spiritual 
state. Praying for courage and wisdom, I resolved 
to follow my conviction of duty, and talk with 
him about his hope for the future. My first direct 
approach on the subject was repulsed with the state- 
ment that he could risk his future with many of 
my church members. It was my opportunity to 
say kindly, but earnestly, that church membership 
was no positive assurance of salvation, but that 
according to Christ's teaching, one must have a new 
birth. I quoted the conversation of Jesus with 
Nicodemus, and applied it. I tried to indicate that 
whenever Christ gave utterance to some great and 
fundamental doctrine, he prefaced it with the ex- 
pression, "Verily, verily"; and that this was one of 
the occasions when He gave utterance to a vital 
truth of salvation. Avoiding controversial points, 
and giving slight opportunity to argue the ques- 
tion, I left him on the sidewalk. He resumed his 
slow and tottering steps homeward, with this vital 
Gospel truth as seed lodging in his heart. About 
three weeks passed, and I heard that he had be- 
come confined to his home, which occasioned my 
next several visits. Each successive call revealed 
to me the fact that more and more the sandy 
foundation of his hope was giving away. From 
several remarks he made, I detected that Christ's 
teaching regarding the necessity of a new birth had 
found lodgment, causing some concern, and awak- 
ening inquiry. He came to a point where he ac- 



58 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

knowledged his belief in God, in a future life, and 
in Christ the only Redeemer, but he did not think 
la profession of faith was necessary for salvation. 
With appropriate Scripture (Rom. 10:9-10) I 
showed the relation of saving faith to a public 
profession, asserting that what God in His Word 
had joined together, no man has a right to put 
assunder. I left him with that truth, as I had left 
him on previous occasions with some particular 
truth appropriate to his needs, praying and trust- 
ing that the Holy Spirit would use it in the deep- 
ening of conviction. The next visit touched on the 
forgiveness of sin, and the need of a forgiving spirit 
if we wanted God to forgive us (Matt. 6:15). This 
Avas the last truth to which his proud heart yielded. 
When I called the next day and asked whether he 
had settled the question of his salvation by a sur- 
render to Christ, he replied: "I have given myself 
to Christ as best I can, but I do not know whether 
He will receive me. I cannot confess Him, which 
you say is necessary, and which I would be willing 
to do had I the opportunity." He was told that God 
would not require what he could not do, "But," 
said I, "are you willing to tell your daughters of 
your aqceptance of Christ?" He was ready to tell 
them. The readier can now easily imagine the 
solemnity of the moment, and the tears of joy and 
gratitude that fell when that father, in the presence 
of his daughters, confessed faith in Christ. I im- 
agine there was joy also in the presence of the 



The New Birth 59 

angels of God. This new joy was the first fruits 
of an abiding peace and a blessed fellowship, which 
from that moment became his through faith in 
Christ, and la confession of His name. 

After this, he wanted to know whether he could 
become a member of the church, although not able 
to attend. When he was told that he might, he re- 
quested to see the elders of the church. They came 
and, among them, the elder against whom he had 
carried so long a bitter grudge. The Christain 
spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation, and brother- 
hood were never more genuinely apparent than on 
this occasion. The old man, now a young convert, 
and la new creation in Jesus Christ, received "the 
communion" and was enrolled with Christ's fol- 
lowers. 

In the prayer services, which were held at his 
house at his request during the weeks that he tar- 
ried on earth, the evidence became clear and con- 
vincing that he was "born from above." 

Another incident bearing on the subject under 
discussion is unlike the one just related, but is a 
no less striking illustration of the change that ac- 
companies true belief and confession. It was the 
ease of an intelligent girl, a senior in the city high 
school, who in attending special meetings, had 
become deeply convicted and manifested a desire 
to live a Christian life. By appointment, I called 
at her home to see if I could be of service in ex- 
plaining to her the way of salvation. I found her 



60 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

ready to make a full surrender. After she had 
definitely committed herself by a brief prayer, 
which she repeated sentence by sentence as I gave 
it to her, I told her that henceforth her prayer 
ought to be, "Lord, what shall I do." She seemed 
bewildered for a moment, and then asked, "Must I 
not first have a change of heart?" I explained to 
her that the Bible teaches the necessity of a change 
of heart, " But," said I, "who alone can change 
your heart?" She answered, "God." I then said: 
"If God is the only one to change your heart, you 
have nothing to do with that part of your salvation. 
Your duty is to do what you believe Christ wants 
you to do, land God will do the rest." That same 
evening, to my joy and surprise when the oppor- 
tunity was presented, she testified that she had 
found salvation that day, and that a new joy had 
come into her heart. She became at once a happy 
witness and worker for Christ. 

"Wouldst thou be saved? 

Give now to God tliy heart. 

If thou dost thine, 

Then Christ will do His part." 



CHAPTEE VI. 



DIVINE LOVE 



God so loved the world. — John 3 : 16. 

God is love. — John 4 : 8. 

He that abideth in love abideth in God. — John 4 : 16. 

The heart of the Gospel is God's infinite love. 
His great love for the world is the good news from 
heaven. To learn this, believe it, to experience it, 
and then to make it known to others, is the secret 
of winning men to Christ. Failure in this is like 
a failure through building a house without a foun- 
dation. Every Christian aspirant for usefulness 
must get his bearing from an unwavering assur- 
ance of God's love, or else he may as well give up 
the task. You can never teach others what you do 
not know. You cannot impress and convince them 
with la truth that has not first impressed and con- 
vinced you. You can never portray to others God's 
redeeming love, and Christ the gift and manifesta- 
tion of that love, unless these are the practical reali- 
ties of your own faith. 

The New Testament teachinof concernino^ divine 
love may be summarized under several distinct 
propositions, the comprehension of which is the 
vital requisite in all Christian work. 

1. GocVs love is the very essence of His nature^ 
61 



62 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

the sum and substance of His character. His atti- 
tude toward the world is none other than an at- 
titude of love, and with that everything else predi- 
cated of God must be consistent. ''God is love.^'' 
The opposite of love is hate; therefore, God can- 
not hate men, that would be inconsistent with His 
nature of love. In whatever other phase God may 
reveal Himself, love is the unity and perfection of 
His being, land all His attributes flow consistently 
from that source, as light, heat, saving and destroy- 
ing influences flow from the same sun. God's holi- 
ness is a part of His love. It is His love as it 
comes into contact with sin. He is "of purer eyes 
than to behold evil." God cannot tolerate sin. His 
love is la holy love, which burns and drives away 
when it cannot heal and help. "Our God is a con- 
suming fire," to those who spurn and do violence 
to His love. The wrath of God is nothing malig- 
nant in His nature, as it is in man's nature, but 
simply a divine displeasure with that which is 
wicked and sinful. God's anger comes not from an 
unloving, revengeful nature, but is "the energy of 
His wounded love." God's righteousness and jus- 
tice, according to which sinners suffer the penalty 
for their sins, are essential in the divine govern- 
ment, else there could be no protection and security 
to His people. As in human governments, so in the 
divine, these are perfectly consistent with a benevo- 
lent purpose to save all who desire salvation. God 
then, has no other than a loving disposition and a 



Divine Love 63 

gracious purpose toward even the greatest land the 
most wicked sinners. "Christ died for the ungodly." 
cj"God commended His own love toward us, in that 
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 
Such love we can hardly understand unless we 
grasp the fidl significance of the definition, "God 
is love." It is His nature to love as it is the sun's 
nature to shine, the flower's nature to give fra- 
grance, and the mother's nature to love her child. 
The idea was once fittingly expressed by an illiter- 
ate woman, who w^hen she heard of the Avondeful 
love of God, replied, "I see nothing wonderful in 
that, it is just like HhnP The most learned schol- 
ars can add but little to that simple statement. 

2. Christ is the v%anifestation of the divine love. 
God's love could not be known if it were not re- 
vealed through Christ. "God so loved the world 
that He gave His only begotten Son." Herein w^as 
the love of God manifested in us (in our case) 
that God sent His only begotten Son into the world 
that we might live through Him." "Herein is love, 
not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and 
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" 
(1 John 4:9-10). Christ is here clearly set forth 
as the manifestation of God's love. Christ did not 
come into the world to originate a divine love, or 
to draw it out, or to open a way for it to pass to 
men, but to make it known. God had always loved 
the world, but the greatness of that love remained 
unknown. Christ's advent was its fullest manifes- 



64 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

tation. He embodied it, declared it, lived it, and 
gave convincing proof of it in His suffering, sacri- 
fice and death. The atonement of Christ was not 
to appease an angr}^ God, but to reveal a loving 
Father. "God was in Christ reconciling the Avorld 
unto Plimself." Christ is the clearest revelation of 
God, and the highest possible manifestation of His 
love. He could truly say, "He that hath seen me, 
hath seen the Father." 

3. God^8 love goes out to men regardless of their 
sinful characters and conduct. While it is admitted 
that He has a special love for His own, which is 
like a father's love of complacency for a son who 
loves and honors the father, His love for those who 
love Him does not in the least degree interfere with 
or interrupt a yearning love toward ungrateful, 
unfilial, self-willed prodigals. The perfection of 
God's love consists in that He pours His love like 
rain, upon the just and the unjust. "He is not 
willing that any should perish." "He has no pleas- 
ure in the death of the wicked." Through His 
Son, "He has come to seek and to save that which 
was lost." Christ had a passionate desire for the 
salvation of men; He wept over impenitent sin- 
ners; He left the ninety and nine to restore the 
one sheep that was lost in the wilderness. This love 
for the unsaved is an unchangeable love, continuing 
the same despite man's unresponsiveness, hostility, 
spurning, rejection, and hardening of heart. It is 
no more affected by man's character and conduct 



Divine Love 65 

than the sunlight is affected by the ugly things in 
nature, which fail to absorb his rays, and refuse 
to be blessed and beautified by his benign influence. 
The sinful deeds of men can no more prevent the 
continuous outflow of God's love towiard them than 
the passing clouds can keep the sun from shining 
above them, and breaking through them to reach 
the world below. Eev. Charles Spurgeon once vis- 
ited a man in the country whose weathervane bore 
the inscription, "God is Love." "Do you mean to 
proclaim," said the preacher, "that God's love is as 
changeable as the wind?" "No," was the instant 
reply. "I mean to say that God is love^ no matter 
from what direction the wind may blow." This love 
of God, being the spontaneous outflow from the 
greatness and richness of His own nature, does not 
Avait for man to become worthy of it — that can 
never come to pass. It is not man's worthy but 
his need which appeals to it, and calls it fortl^ 
Gypsy Smith has well said that Christ is at His 
best when He is in the presence of a great sinner. 
This great nnchangeable, yearning love on the part 
of Deity towards sinful, rebellious men, finds no 
parallel in an^^ religious literature outside the New 
Testament revelation. The doctrine, though the life 
and glory of the Gospel, seems almost incredible. 
One of the worst things about sin is that it inca- 
pacitates men to believe that God loves them in 
spite of their sins. 

In this connection, let it be further remembered 



66 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

that God's love for sinners is not a purposeless love. 
It is something more than good will or benevo- 
lence. It is the nature of true love to seek the wel- 
fare of its object. A teacher who is merely good 
natured and kind will accomplish little good. But 
if he loves his pupils, he will seek their highest wel- 
fare. This means incessant vigilance, careful dis- 
cipline, painstaking instruction, self-denial and 
self-sacrifice, alwaj^s having in mind future benefi- 
cent effects. The same is true of parents who really 
love their children. It will lead them to toil and 
suffer and sacrifice for the good of their children. 
Sacrifice is both the evidence and the measure of a 
true love. GocL so loves the vjorld. His love goes 
out to the erring to reclaim and to restore them. 
It goes out toward the weak, not to tolerate weak- 
ness, but to impart strength and hope. It goes out 
to the rebellious not to condone or overlook their 
sinfulness, but to bring them to repentance and 
salvation. It goes out to lall men regardless of 
their characters, to build them up in a Christlike 
character and manhood. Till that purpose is ac- 
complished, divine love cannot be satisfied. The 
sun shines upon our dead world for no other pur- 
pose than to produce life, beauty and fruitage. 
In the same way, God's love is bestowed upon all 
men alike, and without cessation, to be a life-giving, 
sou'l-saving, character -building), purifying power. 
4. GocTs love is a personal love for each sep- 
arate individual. Without its personal quality, it 



Divine Love 67 

could have lit|tle value or appreciation. Vague 
good will is too impersonal to win men. Love be- 
comes a power and help only when it selects, indi- 
vidualizes and centers upon one person, as if there 
were no others within its reach. God's love for the 
world suggests to many minds something vague and 
indefinite, as if the individual were wholly lost in 
the mass. But not so. It goes out to men as single 
entities. Each person may appropriate it as if it 
were meant for him alone. The sun shines on a 
broad range of verdure, but each particular tree re- 
gardless of other trees in the orchard, appropriates 
the sunbeams, absords the light, and is thus brought 
to blossom and bear fruit. A mother loves all her 
children, not with a general love, but with some- 
thing special land definite for each child. The in- 
dividual child is not lost in the family group, but 
is a part of that circle, and receives to its full ca- 
pacity the parental love. Like that is the love of 
God. The world is made up of individual human 
beings, to whom God's love becomes of value, when 
it becomes exclusive in a sense ; when it selects and 
individualizes so that the sinner can feel that it is 
fixed upon him, and the believer can say, "He died 
for me." 

"I've found a Friend: Oh, such a Friend. 
He loved me ere I knew Him: 
He drew me with the cords of love, 
And thus He bound me to Him: 



68 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

And round my heart still closely twine, 
Those ties which naught can sever; 

For I am His, and He is mine, 
For ever and for ever." 

5, God''s love in the heart and life of the be- 
liever constitutes divine likeness. "Love is of God; 
and every one that loveth is begotten of God and 
knoweth God" (1 John 4:7). 

Christian love is a divine love implanted in the 
heart by the Holy Spirit. It is a love for sinners 
that seeks their welfare, just as God's love is a love 
for sinners seeking their salvation. It comes from 
a renewed nature in which the image or likeness 
of God, miarred and almost obliterated by sin, is 
reproduced and the children of God come to re- 
semble again, their heavenly Father. "If ye love 
them that love you, what reward have ye, do not 
even the publicans the same." "Love your enemies 
and pray for them that persecute you, that ye may 
be the sons of your Father who is in heaven, for He 
maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, 
and sendeth rain upon the just and unjust. Ye 
therefore, shall be perfect as your heavenh^ Father 
is perfect" (see Matt. 5.43-48). 

Christian perfection, as taught in the Sermon on 
the Mount, is perfection of love. It is God's per- 
fect love embedded in the nature and embodied in 
the life of the believer. To be godlike is to be like 
God in His love to all men seeking their salvation. 
"God is love; and he that abideth in love, abideth 
in God, and God abideth in him" (1 John 4.16). 



Divine Love 69 

6. The love of God incarnated in human lives 
is the greatest fower for good in the world. It is 
the greatest character-builder. It surpasses knowl- 
edge, courage, faith. "Knowledge puffeth up, but 
love edifieth" (1 Cor. 8:1). "Love suffereth long 
and is kind; Love envieth not; Love vaunteth not 
itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself un- 
seemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh 
not account of evil * * * beareth all things, believeth 
all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" 
(1 Cor. 13). 

Love is the supreme qualification for soul-win- 
ning. Before it, the hardest hearts will melt. It 
was the power which pierced the heart of Jerry 
McAuley and converted him to Christ. He in turn 
opened his heart to receive that love, and with the 
messages, "God loves you," and "I love you," he 
brought hope and salvation to the most hardened 
and wretched sinners. There is no powder in the 
world like the power of love. No matter how far 
men may be morally estranged from their Maker, 
if they can once be convinced that the God whom 
they have hated loves them still with la deep, ten- 
der, incomparable love, they will be irresistibly 
drawn to Him. 

This then, is the summary of John's teaching con- 
cerning divine love: "God is Love." He is love 
above everything else expressive of His character. 
His love flows freely and spontaneously from the 
richness and greatness of His nature, and reaches 



70 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

all men regardless of their sin and unworthiness. 
This love in the believer's heart, makes him God- 
like and qualifies him in the highest degree for 
soul-winning. 

"Love divine all love excelling, 

Joy of heaven, to earth come down. 
Fix in us thy humble dwelling, 

All thy faithful mercies crown. 
Jesus Thou art all compassion, 

Pure, unbounded love Thou art; 
Visit us with thy salvation. 

Enter every trembling heart." 



CHAPTER VII 



PRESENT SALVATION 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and 
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting (eternal) life, 
and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death 
unto life (cometh not into Judgment, but hath passed out of 
death into life ) . — John 5 : 24. 

An upright, honorable and aspiring man was 
urged one time b}- la friend to give himself to Christ 
for salvation. He turned to his friend and frankly 
asked: "What do you mean by being saved?" The 
inquiry was practical and pertinent. The man had 
been reared in a Christian home of exceptional 
strictness, and his outward life had been molded 
by Christian influences, but Christianity had not 
become a practical living reality with him. The 
teaching and preaching had given him no other 
idea than that religion had only a future value and 
in some way the old idea of escape from a future 
hell, the prospect of a heavenly harp and a golden 
crown, the portraiture of saints standing before 
the throne like so many figures, had never appealed 
to him. His friend was wise in defining salvation 
as having, first of all, a certain present value be- 
fore it is to be regarded as a future asset. He 
said : "By being saved^ I mean, saved to one's best, 
enabled to make one's life count for the most, that 

71 



72 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

is what the Savior has done for me." The present 
value of salvation was a new thought for the man. 
It was the right point of contact, and he at once 
admitted that he needed a higher help to make the 
best of the present life. Many people need a sim- 
ilar practical definition and conception of religion. 
They need to know that godliness has primarily 
"the promise of the life which now is." Christ's 
promise is "manifold more in this time" (Luke 
18:30). He said. "I came that they may have 
life," which means now and not wholly hereafter. 
"Today is salvation come to this house." "The Son 
of man came to seek and to save that which was 
lost," not that which was to be lost. It is not denied 
that the full value of salvation is in the future. 
The Apostle Paul uses the word chiefly in the sense 
of a future perfect possession, but the Apostle John 
emphasizes its present value and blessing. 

There is no one passage of Scripture that so 
clearly and beautifully teaches this truth as the text 
heading this chapter. It plainly teaches the fol- 
lowing : 

First. A person gets eternal life as soon as he be- 
lieves in Christ, and not when he dies, as is the 
common, erroneous idea. 

Second. Salvation in its beginning is a transi- 
tion from a state of moral and spiritual death to 
a state of spiritual and eternal life, and is like the 
turning point from a deadly disease to returning 
and increasing health. 



Present Salvation 73 

Third. The natural state of man will culminate 
in a future judgment unless there comes a divine 
deliverence. 

Fourth. Hearing Christ's word and trusting the 
Father that sent Him transfers a man immediately 
into a state of present and future salvation by which 
he escapes impending judgment. 

The foregoing we believe to be a logical interpre- 
tation of the text. While Jesus Avas on earth, His 
words were accompanied with la divine power. He 
said to the leper: "Be thou clean, and straightway 
his leprosy was cleansed." He said. "Lazarus, come 
forth," and he that wias dead came forth. The cen- 
turian confessed faith in the efficacy of Christ's 
word when he said: "Only say the word and my 
servant shall be healed." Peter confessed a similar 
faith when he said : "Thou hast the words of eternal 
life" (John 6:68). Whosoever hears and believes 
His word receives with it immediately a life, spirit- 
ual and eternal. From that moment, the individual 
can say and sing: 

" 'Tis done, the great transaction's done, 
I am my Lord's and He is mine. 
He drew me, and I followed on, 

Charmed to confess the voice divine." 

The doctrine of a present salvation is calculated 
to give an assurance, joy and hope, which is every 
believer's birthright. B}^ an understanding of this 
truth man}^ ignorant discouraged Christians rise 



74 The Soul- Win nek's Gospee 

to their feet and go on their way rejoicing. The 
following incident corroborates this statement. 

It was a time of general spiritual interest. There 
came into my church, one Sunday morning, a 
stranger not known to the audience, although he 
was a resident in the city. He was a German la- 
borer, who had been trained in the Christian faith, 
but since coming to America had paid no attention 
to church relationship. That morning, however, 
he was seized with a strange desire to attend some 
church. During the sermon I noticed his intense 
interest and attention. It was so marked that his 
action seemed peculiar. I did not know what he 
might do next, because at times his restlessness 
brought him to a half standing posture. At the 
close of the sermon, land before the closing prayer, 
I was led by some mysterious impulse to ask whether 
there was any person who desired to be a Christian 
and be remembered in the prayer. The man rose 
immediately to his feet, and said: "Pray for me, 
pastor." After the prayer he came forward, and, 
turning to the audience, he confessed that he wanted 
to get back to the religion in which h was reared, 
and then said : "Will you all pray with me the prayer 
my mother taught we when I was a boy?" In 
broken English, he repeated the Lord's prayer. The 
formal morning's service came to an abrupt close. 
Following the service, the brother received the help 
and instruction which brought peace and assur- 
ance. But like Christian in P'tlgrimh Progress^ 



Present Salvation 75 

he had not gone very far when he fell into the 
Slough of Despond, and needed help to get out on 
the right side. In reading the New Testament, he 
had stumbled over the passage which speaks of 
"Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," and like hun- 
dreds before him he felt guilty, and concluded that 
there was no hope for him. Fortunately, he was 
directed to the passage of Scripture which was the 
means of lifting him out of his despondency, and 
sent him again on his way rejoicing. I met him 
several days afterwards, and observing his light 
step and lighted countnance, I asked: "Hoav is it 
with you now, brother; are you happy?" "I am all 
right," he replied. "That one text (John 5:24) 
and the one word in the text explains everything 
to me. It says, 'hath eternal life.' I though the 
Bible said, 'shall have eternal life,' and I was afraid 
I would never get it. But I am glad it says hath. 
I was shoost like a man hunting for his 'shpectacles' 
and then finds that he has got them on his nose." 
In all my ministry, I have never found a more apt 
illustration of a present salvation than was given 
that day on the spur of the moment by this happy 
new convert. 



CHAPTER VIII 
Christ's welcome 

Him that coinetb to me I will in uo wise cast out. — 
John 6 : 37. 

In a previous chapter God's love has been de- 
fined as a love which goes out to all men purpos- 
ing their salvation, regardless of their condition 
or guiltiness. That thought is here more definitely 
expressed and applied to the individual sinner's 
case. Christ teaches that it is the Father's will to 
make men everlastingly happy (v. 40). To carry 
out that purpose He sent His Son into the world 
as the interpreter and administrator of that w^ill. 
In the text Christ declares Himself to be in full 
sympathetic agreement with the Father to save 
every one who comes to Him for salvation. He de- 
clares His purpose to reject no one. Whosoever has 
the least desire to come is heartily welcome. "Him 
that Cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out." 
Here we have expressed in a negative form more 
strongly than could be exprssed in a positive form 
the readiness of Christ to receive with open arms 
of love the greatest sinner. God the Father has 
made no exception in His offer of merc}^, and Christ, 
who came to carry out th*\ will of the Father, will 
make no exception. Hundreds and thousands of 

76 



Christ's Welcome 77 

saved sinners can testify to the verity of this em- 
phatic statement. 

How can this passage be used in personal work 
and iapplied to the unsaved? In two ways. 
' First, it may be said that an application of the 
text can be made in the case of almost every one 
who seeks salvation. After one has expressed faith 
in Christ, and in his way has accepted Christ, but 
lacks assurance of being accepted, it is well to hold 
such a one to the plain declaration of Christ to 
reject not a single person who comes to Him. Let 
the person who seeks salvation understand that if 
He accepts Christ to the best of his knowledge then 
Christ must either accept or reject him. There can 
be no other alternative in such a case. If Christ 
rejected him, the person rejected would be the first 
and only one of millions who have come to Him and 
have been saved. That would seem absurd to be- 
lieve. If Christ's promise has stood unbroken for 
nineteen centuries, it will remain unbroken in his 
case. It will admit of no exception, consequently 
there can be no other conclusion than that of Christ's 
acceptance. When an inquirer is logically driven 
to that position it will constitute and remain his 
strongest fortress against doubts and fears. 

But while the promise in consideration maiy have 
a general application to all who seek salvation, it 
is to be prescribed chiefly as the Gospel's specific 
in the case of one who despairs of his salvation. 
He feels, perhaps, that having continued so long in 



78 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

sin, there is no hope for his redemption. He has 
sinned against the light of truth and against the 
love of God. From the loftiest heights of privilege 
he has descended to shameful depths of degradation, 
x^fter repeated efforts to rise he has only sunk 
lower. His whole life has been wasted land there 
seems nothing before him but to submit to the in- 
evitable and suffer the just penalty for sin. He 
stands on the verge of hopelessness. He has not 
only gone the full length himself, but has taken 
with him others whose lives are as miserable and 
hopeless as his own. 

It is not easy to convince such a one that God is 
still waiting to be gracious; that there is forgive- 
ness even for those "whose sins are like scarlet," 
and "red like crimson," colors in cloth which can 
hardly be removed without destrojdng the cloth 
itself. Yes, that is the promise of our compassion- 
ate God. 

"While the lamp holds out to burn, 
The vilest sinner may return." 

The soul-wunner who believes this with his whole 
heart and takes this Gospel message to those who 
have fallen to the lowest depths of sin will find 
that Christ "came to seek and to save that which 
was lost," "calling not the righteous, but sinners to 
repentance." He has never cast any one out and 
never will. "When God made promise," says the 
writer to the H:ebrews (Oh. 6:13-18), "He "^inter- 



Christ's Welcome 79 

posed with an oath, that by two immutable things 
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may 
have a strong encouragement who have fled for 
refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.'' 
Again: "Wherefore, also, He is able to save to the 
uttermost (lit. completely) them that draw near 
unto God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to 
make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). "God hath 
shut up all unto disobedience that he might have 
mercy upon all." "Oh the depth of the riches both 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God" (Rom. 11 : 
32, 33). 

What an encouragement there is given here to go 
where sin has wrought its greatest desolation, w^liere 
sinners have fallen to their lowest depths of infamy, 
hardened, hopeless, "vile and full of sin," and make 
known to such the saving grace and redeeming 
power of God. Men like Col. Clarke, Trotter, Mc- 
Auley, Hadley, Begbie, the Booths, and scores of 
others whose work w4th criminal classes and in city 
slums is well known, testify unitedly that, "Where 
sin abounds, grace doth much more abound;" that 
divine grace is mightier than human sin; that a 
rainbow of hope overarches every, human being; 
and that, as previously quoted, "Christ is at His 
best in the presence of a great sinner." 



CHAPTER IX 

'obedience the organ of spiritual 
knowledge'' 

If any man will do {loilleth to do) his will, he shall know 
of the doctrine (teaching) whether it be of God or whether I 
speak of {from) myself. — John 7:17. 

The above title, borrowed from a famous ser- 
mon on this text, fits appropriately the passage of 
Scripture which is here to be unfolded, illustrated 
and presented as a worker's weapon in dealing with 
unbelievers. Both title and text give in a nutshell 
the underlying cause of infidelity and at the same 
time, the philosoph}^ of a sound faith. The Christ- 
ian worker cannot afford to remain ignorant of its 
teaching. It is necessary for him to have a clear 
survey of the battle field of infidelity and to j^now 
the different forms in which he will have to meet op- 
position to the truth. Sometimes, the opposition comes 
only in the form of common doubt. This, however, 
must not be ignored because persistent doubt becomes 
unbelief and persistent unbelief becomes disbelief. 
Simple doubt says : "I do not believe because I do not 
understand." It is often honest and welcomes light. 
Unbelief says : "I do not believe because you have not 
given sufficient evidence and removed objections." It 
is less honest and continually asks for more light. Dis- 

80 



Obedience 81 

belief turns away from the light, summons its own 
cross-witnesses, and throAvs out of court the main 
evidence on which the case rests. The doubter says : 
"I do not act because I do not believe;" the unbe- 
liever says: "I do not act because I am not fully 
convinced;" and the disbeliever says. "I do not act 
because I do my own thinking and will not be con- 
vinced by your line of reasoning." The most obsti- 
nate form of skepticism is the disbelief which in- 
trenches itself in its own opinions rejects the tes- 
timony of others, and puts a cap on the very tele- 
scope which reveals the domain of spiritual truth. 
Every form of unbelief stands and waits before 
it acts, when in reality, action on known truth leads 
immistakably to more truth. The only way to in- 
crease knowledge is to act on the knowledge one 
possesses. 

The Master teaches that there must be a spirit 
and disposition to obey in order to understand the 
will of God. His own life as the embodiment of 
truth, furnished a concrete illustration of this fun- 
damental principle. He based the accuracy of His 
knowledge and the righteousness of His judgment 
on the fact that He sought to do the will of God — 
"My judgment is just (righteous) because I seek not 
My own Avill, but the will of Him that sent Me" 
(Ch. 5:30). "I do always the things that are pleas- 
ing to Him" (Ch. 8:29). Obedience to the Avill of 
God put Him in full possession of the truth of God. 
His obedient life was the answer to the Pliarisees' 



82 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

question: "How knoweth this man letters, having 
never learned?" (Vs. 15). On the other hand, the 
unwillingness on the part of the Pharisees to do the 
will of God and live in accord with the truth which 
they had received from God, stood effectively in 
their way of receiving the further and clearer reve- 
lation from God through His Son. They had the 
law of God, and observed its letter, but violated its 
spirit. They kept the Sabbath, gave tithes, were 
oppressively severe on minor points, but omitted 
the weightier matters of the law, "justice and mercy 
and faith." They were "blind guides that strained 
out the gnat and swallowed the camel" (Matt. 23 : 
23-42). Someone has truly said: "One of the heav- 
iest penalties of wrong living is, that it blurs, if it 
does not obliterate, the very perceptions of good and 
evil." Joseph Cook has stated the truth thus: "In 
the nature of things every sin against light draws 
blood on the spiritual retina." Someone else has 
written: "Sin distorts the vision of the soul. Preju- 
dice bandages the eyes. Bad morals lead to false 
doctrine. An evil heart is a blind heart. Over the 
eyeballs of the unholy grows a thick, horny scale 
which shuts God and His spiritual universe from 
sight. The diseased eye is pained by the light; and 
those whose sin is rebuked cannot endure sound doc- 
trine." What are these statements but a reiteration 
of the spiritual teaching: "He that doeth evil, 
hateth the light, and cometh not to the light" (John 
3:20). "The unspiritual man receiveth not the 



Obedience 83 

things of the Spirit of God * * * and he cannot know 
them because they are spiritually judged" (1 Cor. 
2:14). The Christian worker in dealing with the 
unsaved must fulh^ recognize this "natural law in 
the spiritual world." Through sin and selfishness, 
the spiritual domiain is thrown into false shapes and 
proportions, so that an immoral man, through the 
imperfect medium of his own life, can no more dis- 
cern the will and truth of God than he can see the 
glories of heaven through a crimson glass. To 
deal intelligently with the spiritually blind land 
lead them into the light, the Christian oculist must 
understand that "Obedience is the organ of spiritual 
knowledge." 

If a man says, "I do not understand your teach- 
ing," tell him that that is in accord with Bible 
teaching, and point him to the text of Scripture 
which describes his case (1 Cor. 2:14). If a man 
maintains that he cannot see the way of salvation as 
you present it, shoAV him that the perception of 
truth is not a matter of the head, but of the heart 
(Matt. 5:8). He can get in possession of it not 
through logic, but through life. As running water 
purifies itself, so truth is clarified by living it. Hold 
an unbeliever to the text, "If any man willeth to 
do His will he shall know." If a man boldly says 
that he believes not more than half of what you 
teach or preach, ask him whether he is living the 
part which he does believe, and if he is not living 
that, he cannot expect further light. "Be ye doers 



84 The Soul- Win nek's Gospel 

of the word and not hearers only, dekiding yonr 
ownselves" (Jas. 1 :22). By a law of spiritual gravi- 
tation, "He that doeth truth cometh to the light." 

The foregoing principle and law governing spir- 
itual knowledge, I wish now to illustrate with two 
conversions, one an unbeliever who denied the ex- 
istence of God, and the other a doubter of the 
divinity of Christ. 

The reader is first introduced to a young man 
who, at the age of 28, had passed through as much 
as seems possible to pass through in such a short 
period of one's life. My first acquaintance with him 
gave the impression which was confirmed later, 
that I was dealing with a typical unbeliever, intel- 
lectual, proud, self-willed, and more or less hard- 
ened against the religion of his godly ancestors. 
He was the grandson of a prominent minister, the 
son of Christian parents, and was therefore blessed 
with a noble Christian heritage. He showed, how- 
ever, wayward tendencies is his early boyhood, to 
which he gave free reins while a student at college 
away from home. It was not long before all re- 
ligious restraints were thrown off, and like the 
prodigal of old, the imagined new^ freedom became 
the worst of bondage. It may be frequently ob- 
served, that those who are surrounded in early years 
with special religious influences and privileges, and 
who sin against the light, God is apt to leave to 
their self-chosen, sinful ways until their extremity 
becomes His opportunity. When I asked this young 



Obedience 85 

man, who had become known as a periodical 
drunkard, when he first entered upon such a course, 
he answered, "When I was at college, away from 
the restraint of my parents, and could do things 
without the knowledge of m}^ teachers." Many a 
young man begins a similar downward course, ig- 
norant of a moral law, as universal and certain in 
its operation as the law in nature, that, "Whatso- 
ever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." From 
his boyhood this young man had been an omniverous 
reader of books, a habit which continued through 
all his checkered career, and the hard experiences 
of his wayward life. He had, through his reading 
habit, absorbed a wonderful amount of knowledge, 
so that it was not easy to tackle him on unfamiliar 
ground. One day his father came to me Avith a 
heavy heart, unburdening himself in the following 
manner: "My wife told me sometime ago that 
you had expressed a desire to see my son, hoping 
that you might be able to do something for him. 
I wish that in some way you could get in touch with 
him. He has left home, land has a room down town. 
He is an expert bookkeeper and accountant, and is 
quite in demand, but I regret to say all his money 
goes for drink. Saturday he was paid for a week's 
work. Sunday he was dnnik all day. I fear he is 
again on one of his periodical sprees, and I hardly 
know where you might find him. I have thought 
that a letter from you might do him good. He 
would get it if you mailed it in care of a certain 



86 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

drug store which he makes his loafing place." I 
assured this father that I was interested in his son's 
salvation, that I had been hoping for an oppor- 
tunity to have a conversation with him, that I would 
follow his suggestion to write a letter, and that if he 
believed in prayer, I wanted him to pray for his son 
now as he had perhaps never prayed before, closing 
with the remark: ''Our dependence must be upon 
God." A lump came into this father's throat. Tears 
formed in his eyes. I left him abruptly that he 
might cast his burden upon the Great Burden-Bearer, 
and that the tears might fall, "in the secret of His 
Presence." The promised letter was sent. A few 
days later, a drug clerk, a Christian man, appeared 
at my door, saying: "You wrote a letter to Mr. B., 
which he received, and he has confided its contents 
to me. The letter," said he, "has made an impres- 
sion which I think you ought to follow up in some 
way." In reply to some further inquiries, I was told 
where I might find m}^ man. The next morning 
I prayerfully began my search, and was soon re- 
warded by meeting the man in his uncle's coal office, 
one of the places suggested by the druggist. He was 
sober, and seemed in fairly good humor. After the 
customary greeting and handshake, he volunteered 
the remark that he had received my letter, and had 
thought some of coming to see me. I assured him 
that I was interested in him, and was anxious to 
have a conference on a subject that might be of 
benefit to both of us. He knew Avell what I meant. 



Obedience 87 

I remarked further, that in discussing the topic of 
religion with him, I might be at a disadvantage, 
because he no doubt had read many things which 
I had not read, and that I had been informed he 
no longer believed in the existence of God. Some- 
what encouraged by this remark, he raised his head 
a little, and with a cynical smile, said, "I used to 
believe in God as I used to believe in ghosts." I 
replied that if he told me what his past life had 
been, I could tell him what he believed, adding that 
the belief of a man was largely the outgrowth of 
his life. "That may be," he said, dropping his head 
somewhat at this unexpected rejoinder. Eealizing 
that there was no opportunity for private conver- 
sation in that business office, I said: "Suppose you 
come to my study tomorrow morning at 9 :00 o'clock, 
and let me tell you why I believe in a God. I may 
not be able to convince you, but I would like to have 
you know why I believe as I do." The agreement 
was made, and as he related to me afterwards, he 
came with his mind made up to believe and act upon 
everything that seemed reasonable and true. 

As I review the incident now, that attitude of 
mind proved his salvation. I did not know at the 
time of his resolution and determination, but it 
became evident later that the Spirit of God had 
guided to the right point of contact, discouraging as 
the first approach on the subject of religion seemed 
to be. The conversation as resumed in my study 
the next morning Avas as follows: "Do you say that 



88 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

you do not believe in the existence of a God?" "Not 
exa'ctly that," he replied; "the belief in a Supreme 
Being seems reasonable, and I am not disposed to 
deny His existence." "Very well," I said, and then 
asked him this question: "What do you mean by 
Sujyreme Being? Do you mean an Intelligence 
above human intelligence, a mind that planned, and 
a power that created the world?" "I mean that 
very: thing," w^as his answer. "For convenience, 
ma}^ we not call that Supreme Being, God?" I asked. 
He made no objection. "Now, Avhich is the most 
reasonable," I continued, "to believe that Pie is just, 
or unjust, holy or unrighteous, kind or cruel, present 
in or absent from the world, concerned about, or in- 
different to the welfare of man?" The reader can 
easily guess, if he w^ere reasonable, how he would 
answer all these questions. We then came to the 
person of Christ, whose place in history he did not 
deny. After that, we discussed the resurrection of 
Christ, how it is more reasonable to believe in that 
than to deny it. Step by step, he was led along 
imtil he expressed his faith in all the vital truths of 
Christianity, including Christ's authority to forgive 
sin and His willingness and power to save from its 
penalty. There was no further argument, but a 
pondering of subjects that had been discussed. Then 
came the psj^chological moment for the direct attack. 
"The question," I said, "resolves itself into this: 
Will you let God save yoiiP'' He looked at me but 
remained silent. I held him to that question, saying 



Obediein ce 89 

further that he might for a time reform as he had 
done once or twice before, but sooner or later he 
would die la drunkard's death unless he let a higher 
power interpose in his behalf. Repeating the ques- 
tion whether he would surrender to Christ, he, after 
a long pause, gave an affirmative answer. As he 
arose to leave, I said: "Do not leave yet — let us 
settle this matter with a few words of prayer." 
Seeing me kneel, he knelt, too. After offering 
prayer for him, I asked him to pray for himself the 
prayer which I would give him sentence by sentence. 
This he did. After the prayer, there seemed noth- 
ing further to do than to let him go his way, if not 
rejoicing^ at least thinking. We were holding some 
quiet Gospel meetings at the time, and I obtained 
his promise to be present that night. He kept his 
promise, and when the invitation was given for 
any one who desired salvation to rise, he arose. 
Being well known in the community, the prayers of 
the Christians in that audience ascended spontane- 
ously like incense in his behalf. He came the next 
evening, and when the opportunitj^ wias presented 
he arose again for prayer. At the close of that 
meeting he was shown in a personal conversation 
that his part in salvation was to give himself to 
God and then to receive from God the pardon and 
grace offered in the GospeL That night, through 
my sleeping hours he remained a weight on my 
mind, and in my dreams I prayed for him. T awoke 
with a lighter heart, and with some sense of relief 



90 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

as if the matter of his salvation was about to be 
settled. That morning he came to my house with 
a new light in his face, greeting me with the ex- 
pression: "It's all right with me now." The reso- 
lution to believe and act on what seemed reasonable 
had led him step by step till he landed safe on the 
rock of divine truth. "He that willeth to do His 
will, shall know of the doctrine w^hether it be of 
God." 

The other conversion illustrating the truth of the 
text is that of a woman physician in Chicago, who, 
as a young girl, had made a profession of religion, 
but lafterwards had forfeited her church member- 
ship. While later on in life^^he had again become 
identified with a church, she remained destitute of 
any religious experience or personal hope of salva- 
tion. She had become more and more restless and 
dissatisfied both with herself and with her church, 
until she stood on the very verge of making total 
shipwreck of her faith. In this state of mind I 
found her one day in her office, where I had called 
for medical advice in seeking recovery from a seige 
of malarial fever. In the earlier part of my min- 
istry she had been our family physician, but I knew 
little of her religious life. While prescribing for 
me at this time, she opened conversation on the sub- 
ject of religion. Her critical attitude convinced me 
that she was ailing spiritually, and I craved the 
opportunity to perscribe for her. She freely con- 
fessed reading rationalistic literature, which I felt 



Obedience 91 

had only, aggravated her malady of doubt and 
despondency. I felt, hoAvever, too ill to enter upon 
a protracted discussion of religion, but remember 
distinctly telling her that she would never arrive 
at spiritual truth by reading and study, especially 
by consulting the opinions of men who had ar- 
rayed themselves against the saving doctrines of the 
church. In the words of the text, I told her plainly 
what attitude of mind she needed if she desired to 
know the truth about Christ. In leaving her office, 
there came to me at the foot of the stairway a 
strange impulse and conviction that the Spirit of 
God was working with that woman. Feeling some- 
what conscience-stricken that I had not done my 
full duty, I breathed a prayer for her salvation, 
and for an other opportunity to help her. The op- 
portunity came a few weeks later when I had again 
an occasion to pass through the city and call at her 
office; not now so much to see her as my physician, 
but rather as my patient. The spirit of God had 
done His part in preparing her for a full surrender. 
She was sincerely desirous to know the truth, and 
"willing to do His will." When one yields the will 
to God, the pivotal point in conversion is past, and 
after that the way becomes easy. The human will 
is like a sash door, the window of the soul to let in 
spiritual truth, and at the same time, the door of 
divine entrance. The conversation of a few weeks 
previous was easily resumed. "Doctor," said I, "do 
you really want to know the truth about Christ 



92 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

whether He was only human or really the Son of 
God and Savior of men?" "Yes, I do," was the im- 
mediate and positive answer. "Then," said I, "let 
us pray about this matter before anyone comes and 
interrupts our conversation." The brief prayer which 
I offered in her behalf, she sealed Iwith a hearty Amen, 
— a response which convinced me of her candor and 
earnestness. With some suggestions how she would 
get further light, I bade her farewell, stating that I 
was anxious to hear from her soon of her progress 
in the way of salvation. 

A few weeks later came a letter telling the story 
of her happy conversion. The contents of that let- 
ter disclosed the following facts in her experience: 

While listening to a sermon on "Confession of 
Sin," by Eev. W. E. Newell in the Chicago Avenue 
Church, she felt that she had sinned in denying 
Christ. When in the progress of the sermon the 
preacher showed that a sincere confession of sin in- 
sured divine pardon, she said to herself. "Why 
don't I confess?" While in that attitude of Avilling- 
ness and determination to confess, there came to her 
an indescribable peace, and a consciousness of divine 
acceptance. Her experience during that service, its 
the letter expressed it, was like a person sailing into 
a peaceful harbor after a long rough voyage upon 
a storm -tossed sea. 

Let it be noted here that the lighthouse which 
first attracted her attention and turned the bark of 
her faith to the harbor of safety, bore the inscrip- 



Obedience 93 

tion : "If a man willeth to do His will, he shall know 
of the teaching, Avhether it be of God, or whether 
I speak from myself." 

During a pastorate of nine years in a city where 
this physician afterwards came to reside, she has at 
different times repeated to me the story of lier con- 
version, that the foregoing incidents and details of 
her experience became indelibly impressd upon my 
mind. She has oft^n referred with great gratitude 
to the time when she found one w^ho met and con- 
sidered her trouble Avith la spirit of sympathy and of 
helpfulness. She had gone to her own pastor with 
her doubts, but he had simply dismissed her by 
saying in substance: "You w^ill get oA^er this. I 
myself had similar doubts at one time." Such acl- 
A'ice could give her no relief. It Avas not her Avay of 
treating people aa4io came to her Avith their physical 
ailments. I learned from dealing w^ith her Avhat 
I had never realized so fully before, that the physi- 
cian and helper of souls must sympathetically meet 
his patients, study their ailments, diagnose each case 
separately, before ever attempting to start them on 
the way of spiritual recovery. 



CHAPTEE X 



CONVICTION OF SIN 



When lie [i. e., the Holy Spirit] is come, he will convict the 

world in respect of sin .of sin, because they believe 

not on me.— John 16:8-9 (R. V.). 

Throughout John's Gospel we have the plain 
teaching that the sin which here and hereafter con- 
demns is the sin of unbelief. By unbelief is meant, 
not intellectual doubt, — that may be an honest sus- 
pense of judgment and action awaiting further 
light, — but in the Gospel sense, unbelief is the op- 
posite of a saving faith. If faith means the recep- 
tion of Christ (Ch. 1:12) involving a surrender to 
Christ (Ch. 2:24) and obedience to the will of 
Christ (Ch. 3:36), then unbelief means the rejection 
of Christ, an unwillingness to surrender self and a 
refusal to obey Him. Since the advent of the Re- 
deemer, this is the world's greatest sin. According 
to John's teaching, sin consists not so much in wrong 
acts as in a wrong attitude. It is not so much com- 
mission as it is omission. "Sin is lawlessness" (1 
John 3:4). Sin consists in a hostile disposition be- 
fore it culminates in action. It would not break 
out in the life if it were not first a disease of the 
heart. The rejection of Christ is the heart's un- 
willingness to be saved, and be reconciled to God 

94 



Conviction of Sin 95 

in the only way that God has appointed. This 
scripturally defined and analyzed is not a simple 
rejection, but a participation in the crimes (farti- 
ceps criminis) . which puts Jesus to death. It is 
trampling underfoot the Son of God, and counting 
the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, and 
doing despite unto the Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29). 
It is 'crucifying to oneself the Son of God afresh and 
putting Him to an open shame (Heb. 6:6). The 
act of crucifixion w^as the result of a sin-clinging 
attitude. The participants turned Christ over to 
His enemies, rather than accept Him as Savior, and 
break with their sins. The same sinful disposition 
which led to the rejection of Christ when He was 
on earth is the disposition which leads to His re- 
jection today. On the part of Judas, it was love of 
money. On the part of Pilate it was love of popu- 
larity. On the part of the priests and Pharisees it 
was envy. On the part of the soldiers it w^as the 
spirit of servility land desire to please others. On 
the part of the people it was the love and choice of 
darkness rather than light. The same sins now pre- 
vail, and lead to the rejection of Christ. Unbelief 
is a sin not different in nature from the spirit which 
animated the people who crucified the Christ. Who- 
ever refuses to accept Him, shows thereby la dispo- 
sition to stand by his sins and leave Christ in the 
hands of His enemies. He thus confirms the action 
of those Avho nailed Him to the cross. This is sin 



96 The Soul-Win nee's Gospel 

in its most hideous form and terrible enormity. It 
is the rejection of infinite love, mercy and grace. 

The knowledge of sin, as it relates to Christ and 
His mission in the world, can come only through the 
presence and influence of the Holy Spirit. "When 
He is come He will convict the world in respect of 
sin, * * * of sin because they believe not on Me." 

Christ came, spake, suffered, died, rose from the 
dead and ascended to heaven. The Holy Spirit is 
His supreme witness. It is His chief function to 
drive the Gospel truth home to the hearts and con- 
sciences of men with such light and power that 
they can no longer resist and reject. An exhibition 
of His work occurred on Pentecost when the multi- 
tude, pricked in their heart, exclaimed, "Whiat shall 
we do?" 

This conviction by the Spirit is something more 
than the mere knowledge of sin. Through the law 
of God, men have ample knowledge of sin, but not 
of the one great sin which 'condemns. The Holy 
Spirit does not need to convince men that theft, 
murder, profanity, etc., are sins. He convicts not 
of "sins," but of "sin." Men need to know what a 
terrible thing it is to stand by their sins and reject 
the Son of God who has com.e to save them. This 
rejection is man's chief sin, and leaves him in a 
hopeless state of sinfulness. 

True conviction is also something more than mere 
feeling in regard to sin. That often comes when 
men think of its consequences. Men seem at times 



Conviction of Sin 97 

to repent, but their repentance is not so much a 
sorrow for sin as it is a disappointment and regret 
that they cannot continue in sin without suffering 
its penalty. Sin leads to misery, but conviction of 
misery is not conviction of sin. Pharaoh was con- 
victed of misery, but his heart remained unchanged. 
David and Peter were convicted of sin., and were 
saved. Nearly all drunkards are convicted of mis- 
ery, but few are convicted of sin and converted. 
True conviction shows us not only our sins, but also 
the Savior. True repentance is turning to this 
Savior for pardon and acceptance. The greatest 
need of the world todaj^ is conviction of sin through 
the power of the Holy Ghost. There has come in 
recent 3^ears a deplorable state of moral calousness 
and insensibility. Teachers and preachers are seri- 
ously longing for, and wondering how and when 
there will come again an old-time conviction that 
will result in clear cases of repentance and con- 
version. 

There are two ways in which the Holy Spirit 
produces the desired conviction. 

First, He accompanies Gospel truth. Whoever 
will be faithful in presenting Christ — all the facts 
about His life, His mission in the world, His sacri- 
ficial death, His glorious resurrection, His ascension 
and promised return — can be assured of the Spirit's 
help to accompany that truth, and press it home to 
the hearts of sinners. He is Christ's chief witness 
and representative whose only purpose in the world, 



98 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

and to the world, is to testify of Christ (Ch. 15:26). 
He will never fail to be present when He is sum- 
moned to appear. He is more anxious than we are, 
that the world should know and believe all the evi- 
dence in the case. He is ever ready to confirm 
every true statement that is made in behalf of 
Christ by His disciples, and to back every sincere 
testimony that is given for Him. Without His help, 
even the truth of the Gospel narrative will make 
only a transient impression. This fact maiy be illus- 
trated with some early experiences in photography. 
The inventor, in trying to take his first pictures, 
could not retain the impressions. The tablet received 
the image through the sun's rays, but the image 
vanished as soon as it was withdrawn from the 
camera. Something was needed which was after- 
wards discovered that would arrest and retain the 
fugitive impressions. By a similar process, the fleet- 
ing impressions of the truth must be retained by 
the Holy Spirit until a permanent image of Christ 
is formed in the soul. 

The second way in Avhich the Holy Spirit pro- 
duces conviction of sin is through believers. This 
is an important truth to be remembered. Many 
Christians pray for the coming of the Hoi}^ Spirit 
to convict of sin, but forget the manner in which 
He was promised to come. He Avas not to come 
directly from heaven, as the rain from the clouds, 
to influence sinners. His promised coming is first 
to the disciples. "I will send him unto you (v. 7) 



Conviction of Sin 99 

and He,when He is come {i. e., to you) He will 
convict the world in respect to sin." Many Christ- 
ians pray for the Spirit to come, but are not willing 
for the Spirit to come and work through them. 
The earliest recorded promise of Christ reads: "If 
any man thirst let him come unto Me and drink. 
He that believeth on Me as the Scripture hath said, 
from within him shall flow rivers of living water." 
The evangelist adds: "This spake He of the Spirit, 
which they that believed on Him were to receive" 
(John 7:37-39). The disciples were to be the chan- 
nels through whom the influence of the Spirit was 
to flow to others. On the day of Pentecost, the dis- 
ciples were first filled with the Holy Spirit, and 
then the overflow influence brought conviction to 
the unsaved multitude. Every true revival since 
Pentecost has originated in the same way. All un- 
answered prayers for revivals may be explained by 
the reluctance and unwillingness to have the Spirit 
come according to Christ's revealed way. The Holy 
Spirit is waiting to perform His office work to the 
unbelieving world, but He cannot do this, unless be- 
lievers give Him the right of way in their lives, and 
thus furnish Plim the channels for communication 
with the world. 

"The foxes have their hole, 
The birds of air their nest, 
But safe in thy surrendered soul, 
He hath not where to rest." 



100 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

Everyone who has a true desire for the Spirit of 
God to come and convict the unsaved, must be willing 
to pray. 

"Take my life and let it be, 
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee." 

When He is come to you^ He will convict the toorid 
in respect to sin. 



CHAPTEK XI 



LIFE ETERNAL 

I give unto them eternal life. — John 10 : 28. 

This is life eternal, that they should know thee the only- 
true God and him whom thou dids't send, even Jesus Christ. 
—John 17 : 3. 

"Life, life, eternal life." This was the cry of 
Christian as he fled from the city of Destruction. 
It has been the cry and aspiration of humanity ever 
since our first parents "ate of that forbidden fruit, 
whose mortal taste brought death into the world, 
and all our woe." What we possess here and now 
can hardly be called life. It is so lamentably brief, 
uncertain, fleeting, effervescent, disappointing. It 
no more resembles real, enduring life than the 
bubble or vapor resembles the limitless ocean. In 
our present world, man does little more than touch 
upon life. He is like a bird that touches the sur- 
face of the w^ater, produces a little ripple, and then 
passes out of sight. Is there no fuller, larger, 
longer-lasting life? If so, what is it? Where is it'? 
How can it be obtained ? These are questions vx'^hich 
Christ has answered for all mankind, and for all 
ages. 

Listen to His message — "I am the resurrection 
and the life; he that believeth on me, though he 

101 



102 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

die, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and be- 
lieveth on me, shall never die" (John 11:25). 

Hear Him as He calls from the resurrection side 
of the tomb, saying: "Fear not; I am the first and 
the last, and the Living One; and I was dead and 
behold, I am lalive forevermore, and have the keys 
of death and of hades" (Kev. 1:17-18). 

Christ has the keys^ and consequently He is the 
only One who can open the door to reveal life's 
meaning and mystery. One of the keys which He 
has put in the hands of His disciples is His defini- 
tion of eternal life. It is one of the most valuable 
keys entrusted to the Christian church. Its special 
merit lies in the fact that it opens the door which 
connects the department of religion with that of 
science, biology with Christianity. The latter is not 
a mere creed as some suppose, but also a life, and 
on this account it falls naturally into the depart- 
ment of biological science. 

The scientific definition of life and Christ's defini- 
tion harmonize. According to biologists, life is a 
force; it is correspondence with environment; adap- 
tation with surroundings. Completeness of life is 
proportionate to the completeness of the corres- 
pondence. For instance, a man who is deaf and 
blind is dead to a large part of the world; he is 
not in correspondence with the world of sound nor 
of sight. His life is imperfect and limited. Life 
can be perfect only when the correspondence is 
perfect. Life is large and abundant onl}^ when 



Life Eternal 103 

there is a large and ample enAdronment. The toad 
has a low and contracted life. The bird has a larger 
life because it has capacity and adaptation to dwell 
in a larger Avorld. Man's life is still larger because 
he dwells in a much greater part of the world. 
Now, if in addition to this, he can come into a 
union and communion with the spiritual domain of 
God's universe, with God himself the source of all 
life, it follows that he gets in possession of the 
highest and noblest kind of life. Modern science has 
taken us to the very portals of the spiritual realm, 
and has left us wdth its promises and intimations 
that if there is such a thing as spiritual and eternal 
life it consists in man's union with a spiritual and 
eternal Being. The Bible teaching is not only in 
perfect agreement Avith these principles and prem- 
ises, but carries us beyond them into the actual spirit- 
ual domain. It reveals to us the fact that before 
the first transgression, man was in perfect corre- 
spondence with the spiritual Avorld, and with his 
Creator. Through sin, that correspondence was 
broken. God had said : "In the day that thou eatest 
thereof, thou shall surely die" (Gen. 2:17). On 
the ver}^ day of the transgression, Adam died, not 
physically, but spiritually. He broke communica- 
tion Avith God. If life is union, then death is sep- 
aration. So long as there is a harmonious union 
between body, mind and spirit, Ave call it life. As 
soon as there comes a separation, Ave call it death. 
Thus Avhen man separated from God, a spiritual 



104 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

being, lie died spiritually, and he continued in that 
state through sin, 

"Till One greater Man restore us. 
And regain the blissful seat." 

The life lost in Paradise. Christ came to restore. 
John's Gospel is a treatise on that life, and the way 
to its recovery. In it, the word "life" occurs thirty- 
six times, and seventeen times the expression "eter- 
nal life," which in this Gospel is equivalent to eternal 
salvation. The reference is always to life in its 
highest form, life spiritual and eternal. "I am come 
that they majT- have life, and have it abundantly" 
(Ch. 10:10). "Ye will not come unto me that ye 
may have life." The men whom Christ addressed 
had a certain form of life, but they did not have 
life in its highest form, union with God through his 
Son. "As the Father hath life in Himself, even so 
gave He to the Son also, to have life in Himself" 
(Ch. 6.26). The Son therefore, could truly say: 
"I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never 
perish." "I and the Father are one" (Ch. 10:28, 
30). "This is life eternal that they should know 
Thee, the onl}^ true God, and Him wdiom thou didst 
send, even Jesus Christ." Science lancl religion have 
come together on a definition that applies to life in 
all its different forms, variations and stages of de- 
velopment till it reaches its highest throne where it 
abides forever with God. The greatest Teacher 
among men came from God to reveal what the true 



Life Eternal 105 

and enduring life is, and how it may be obtained. 
By common agreement, science is knowledge. Bi- 
ology is the science or knowledge of life. Spiritual 
biology is the science of spiritual and eternal life. 
That life, according to Christ's teaching, consists 
in knowing God, a spiritual Being, not theoretic- 
ally or speculatively, but sympathetically, practi- 
cally, and experimentally. Christ did not come to 
teach directl}^ the science of biology, but in the light 
of His teaching no biology is complete without God, 
who is the source of all life. Christ Himself, the 
Son of God land equal with God, is the root, the 
branch, the centre and circumference of all biology. 
To know Him, to be brought into union with Him, 
puts man in possession of the fullest life. Christ- 
ianity, according to scientific intimations, and along 
evolutionary lines, is the truest, highest, holiesty 
happiest, longest life attainable. 



CHAPTER XII 

EVIDENCES OF DISCIPLESHIP 

AND 

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION 

So shall ye be my disciples. — John 15 : 8. 

That ye may know that ye have eternal life. — 1 John 5 : 13. 

The above passages, with many others that might 
be selected, throw light on the important question 
whether a person can know that he is a Christian, 
and be fully assured of his present and future sal- 
vation. 

That there is such evidence and assurance, cannot 
be doubted. The Scriptures teach it, men have ex- 
perienced it, they have avowed it, and rejoiced in 
it. Christ commanded His disciples to rejoice that 
their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:20). 
How could they rejoice over that unless there was 
some way of knowing it. The knowledge of one's 
salvation is conducive, not only to personal joy and 
comfort, but also to soul-winning service. Christ- 
ianity is distinctively a religion of joy. There is 
no other body of men in the world who can sing as 
an assembly of Christians. A joyless Christian is 
a poor soul-winner. When he attempts to recom- 
mend his Christianity to another, he presents such 
a weak testimonial with it, that the person is apt to 

106 



Evidence and Assurance 107 

reply, if not by mouth, then at least in mind, that 
he has burdens to carry without an additional dole- 
ful religion. The old Scotch catechism question, 
"What are the outward signs of an inward grace?" 
with its answer, "Doots and fears," is hardly in 
accord with New Testament teaching. Paul said: 
"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded 
that He is able to keep that which I have committed 
unto Him against that day." John wrote : "These 
things have I written unto you that believe on the 
name of the Son of God, that ye may know that 
ye have eternal life." In his epistle, where he sets 
forth the evidences of disciples, he uses the word 
"know" twenty-eight times. The Greek word "know" 
is even more suggestive and forceful, bearing the 
significance of knowing from an actual experience. 
There are three sources of testimony to prove one's 
salvation. 

(a) First, we have the witness of the Word. The 
Bible declares plainly that whoever comes to Christ, 
He will in no wise cast out (John 6:37) ; that those 
who receive Him, become the children of God 
(John 1:12); that those who "believe on Him 
have everlasting life" (John 5 :24) ; that "they 
shall never perish" (John 10.28) ; but be ul- 
timately gathered with Him in His eternal 
home (John 14:3; 17.24). The witness of the Word 
is the witness of God. "If we receive the witness 
of men, the witness of God is greater (John 5:9). 
God will certainly do what He has promised to do. 



108 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

God's promises have been abundant!}^ verified in 
the experiences of men. Thousands can testify that 
as soon as they met the conditions of salvation, and 
rested upon God's promises, there came to some im- 
mediately, to others graduall}^, but to all definitely, 
sooner or later, a consciousness of pardon and ac- 
ceptance. Being justified by faith, they had peace 
with God. There is no more solid ground on which 
to build one's hope of salvation than the sure prom- 
ises of God. These promises we are told are con- 
firmed by an oath, "that by two immutable things 
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may 
have a strong encouragement, w^ho have fled for 
refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Heb. 
6:18). 

(h) The second witness of salvation is the wit- 
ness of the Spirit. "The Spirit itself beareth wit- 
ness with our spirit that we are the children of 
God" (Eom 8 :16). "Hereby know we that we dwell 
in him and he in us, because he hath given us of 
his Spirit (1 John 4.13). "Kow if any man have 
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 
8 :9). The w^itness of the Spirit is not onty the con- 
sciousness of the divine favor, but love and peace 
in the heart. These come in the place of doubt 
and fear. True assurance is a Spirit-wrought con- 
viction that there has come a reconciliation in the 
place of alienation between the soul and God. 

(e) The third witness of salvation is the wit- 
ness of life. By examining the evidences of disciple- 



Evidence and Assurance 109 

ship in John's first epistle we learn that a Christ- 
ian life is a life of obedience to Christ, and a life 
of love for His brethren. A Christian will naturally 
gravitate toward Christian conipany. "We know 
that we have passed from death unto life, because 
we love the brethren" (1 John 3.14). "Whosoever 
doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he 
that loveth not his brother" (1 John 3:10). "He 
that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds 
may be made manifest that they are wrought of 
God" (John 3:21). "We know that we have passed 
from death unto life because we love the brethren." 
"He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death, 
and hereby we do know that we know Him if we 
keep His commandments" (1 John 2:3-5). 

The scriptural evidences of discipleship and 
ground of true assurance as above given, must not 
lead us to an undue emphasis upon these points, 
as if there were no salvation without this positive 
evidence. There may be salvation without assur- 
ance. We must keep the two separate and dis- 
tinct. Salvation is not alwa3^s accompanied with as- 
surance. Some m.Rj have the one without the other. 
Many a sincere Christian lacks the assurance which 
he should have, by not being acquainted with the 
Bible authority on this subject. Some there are also 
who have had the assurance, and lost it through 
disobedience, or the indulgence of known sins. David 
is an example. By his repentance and confession 
he was restored, as we learn from the thirtv-second 



110 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

Psalm, which, chronologioally, follows the fifty-first. 
On the other hand, there may be persons who have 
a certain kind of assurance, but who have not sal- 
vation, but this assurance, if we can call it such, 
is not in the mature of a conviction wrought by the 
Spirit of God in the heart through the medium of 
divine truth, but rather an opinion or expectation, 
or hope. Their hopes are built on a false founda- 
tion. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, 
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven" 
(Matt. 7:21). 

We must remember further that with most peo- 
ple assurance must become a growth like knowledge, 
faith, love, etc. Let us get the full force of Christ's 
teaching: "So shall ye be my disciples." He had 
spoken of the relationship of the branches to the 
vine. There is a vital relationship between the two. 
The branch's union with the vine becomes stronger 
by growth. 

With this figure in mind, the Master said, as 
some have translated the passage : "So shall ye grow 
up to be true disciples to me." He meant that by 
growth in Him, and abundant fruitfulness in the 
world, God would be glorified, their joy would in- 
crease, and they would thus give to the world the 
unmistakable evidence of His salvation. 

This brings us to our concluding thought on this 
subject, viz., the assurance of our final and full sal- 
vation. In speaking of a present salvation and a 
future salvation, we mean by the former the par- 



Evidence and Assueance 111 

don of sin and acceptance Avith God. It includes 
more than that, but Avhatever else it embraces, these 
are the chief elements. By a future, final salvation, 
is indicated a time when the work of salvation is 
completed,, and the redeemed are safely gathered in 
Christ's kingxlom above, forever removed from temp- 
tation, sin, sorrow and death. This final, full and 
glorious salvation is assured with what we have 
already attained. It rests on the same testimon}^ 
The full assurance will come only when it is needed. 
Dying grace will be given only to the dying. They 
can confidently expect it when they need it. What 
people need while they live, is grace to live by, to 
grow in, to rejoice in, and to manifest to the world. 
When they get that, then wdth it comes the assur- 
ance that all future grace will be bestowed by "the 
God of all grace" and their path "will shine brighter 
and brighter until the perfect day." The witness of 
the Word, the promises of God, are no stronger and 
clearer to receive those who come to Christ for sal- 
vation than they are to keep them till that salvation 
is completed. Christ is not only the Author, but also 
the Finisher of fatih. 

"Finish then Thy new creation, 
Pure and spotless may we be, 
Till we see our whole salvation 
Perfectly secured by Thee." 



CHAPTEE XIII 

FAITH WITHOUT A CONFESSION. 

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also {even of the rulers) 
many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees they did 
not confess him. — John 12 : 42. 

As WE come toward the close of our study of 
Gospel salvation, it is desirable that we devote a 
chapter to the relation of faith land its confession. 
Not infrequently, does the Christian worker meet the 
question : "Cannot a person be a Christian without a 
public profession?" John's Gospel is not silent on 
this subject. We learn from its opening chapters 
that every one who came to believe in Christ made 
public expression of that faith. We find the first 
believers' testimonies as follows. "I saw and bear 
record that this is the Son of God." "We have found 
the Messias." "We have found him of whom Moses 
and the prophets did write." "Rabbi, Thou art the 
Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel." We 
have lan account of two disciples, Nicodemus and 
Joseph of Arimathea, whose faith did not blossom 
out immediately into a public profession, but in 
due time they, also, became very bold in their stand 
for Christ. Two and a half years after Nicodemus' 
first conversation with Christ, he demanded boldly 
from the Jewish council that Jesus should be given 

112 



Faith Without a Confession 118 

the privilege of the law (John 7:51). Later he be- 
came a firm and open disciple, helping Joseph of 
Arimathea to bury the body of our Lord (John 
19:39). 

In the fourth chapter of this Gospel, we have the 
record of the Samaritan woman publicly declaring 
her interest in the One who had revealed Himself 
to her as the promised Messias. We read: "And 
many of the Samaritans of that city believed on 
Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, 
He told me all that ever I did." 

In the ninth chapter we find a very remarkable 
instance of a public profession of faith coming from 
the blind man who had received his sight. He did 
not hesitate to tell over aiid over how he had re- 
ceived his sight. When opposition arose he de- 
fended Christ and boldly declared his belief in 
Him as a prophet. "If this man were not of God 
he could do nothing." He was courageously consist- 
ent and open hearted in his profession. His parents, 
to the contrary, dodged the question, "Because the}^ 
feared the Jews." Their son was reviled and put 
out of the synagogue, but the Master rewarded his 
courageous confession, as He always does, by a fur- 
ther revelation of Himself and giving him an in- 
ward strength, peace and assurance, which otherwise 
he would have missed. 

We learn from John's Gospel that between the 
open confessors of Christ and His bitter opponents. 
there were some who "believed in him, but, because 



114 The Soul-Win nee's Gospel 

of the Pharisees, they did not confess him lest theiy 
should be put out of the synagogue." The author 
accounts for their unwillingness to confess by say- 
ing: 'They loved the praise of men more than the 
praise of God." What a comment that is on their 
cowardly, inconsistent attitude. A faith that re- 
fuses to become publicly identified with Christ's 
cause is not the faith exalted in the Gospel ; the faith 
which brings forgiveness of sin, answers to prayer, 
assurance of victory, joy and peace. Jesus every- 
where insisted on a confession. Hear Him say to 
His disciples: "Ye are the light of the world. A 
city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men 
light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but on 
the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the 
house. Even so let your light shine before men, that 
they may see your good works, and glorify your 
Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5 :14:-16). "Every 
one therefore, who shall confess me before men, 
him will I confess before my Father who is in 
heaven" (Matt. 10:32). The Master insisted that 
those who believed in Him should not be ashamed 
to confess Him, if in the future they desired to 
have Him confess them before His Father in heaven. 
When by faith the timid woman touched the hem of 
Plis garment and was healed, the Master was not 
satisfied that she should secretly take from Him 
only half of the blessing which He wanted to con- 
fer on her, and so He brought her to a confession, 
b}^ asking: "Who touched Me?" He knew who had 



Faith Without a Confession 115 

touched Him, but wanted her to have a full bless- 
ing, which she could obtain only by a public con- 
fession of her fatih. A faith without a confession 
is a wavering faith, mixed with doubt, unstable as 
the waves, unanchored on the rock of truth, unfed 
by the promises of God, weak, joyless, useless. 
Yfherever Christ found true faith He drew it out 
into a confession. Such faith He nourished into 
growth. He strengthened it by discipline, and 
when He saw it triumph over difficulties. He re- 
joiced in it and was glorified by it. Any other kind 
of faith than a growing, courageous, joyous faith 
is 'Comparatively useless. A faith without a con- 
fession does not put itself where it can grow and 
develop. Such faith shrinks from difficulties, as- 
sumes no responsibilities, makes no sacrifices, gains 
no victories, and consequently can be of little or no 
use in advancing the cause of our Lord. It never 
does any business in deep waters. It takes no risks. 
It is a foundation without the intended superstruc- 
ture, an object of public pity, a constant reminder 
of an unfulfilled promise. Paul's teaching on this 
subject is plain. He says. "With the heart man be- 
lieveth unto righteousness and with the mouth con- 
fession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10). The 
joy and assurance of salvation come from a con- 
fession. By faith man is brought into a state of 
righteousness, or of right relationship with God. 
By a confession the joy and assurance of that rela- 
tionship is realized. Tu God's Word the two are 



116 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

vitally and inseparably joined together. "What 
God hath joined together let no man put asunder." 
The faith that is worth the having is the faith 
which becomes publicly and courageously identified 
with the cause of Christ in the earth. His call to 
discipleship is a call to service as well as to salva- 
tion. It is a call to co-partnership in the redemp- 
tion of the world. It is a call to sacrifice, to knight- 
hood, to heroism and to a final glorious victory. 

"The Son of God goes forth to war, 

A kingly crown to gain; 
His blood-red banner streams afar; 

Who follows in His train? 
Who best can drink His cup of woe, 

Triumphant over pain, 
Who patient bears his cross below, 

He follows in His train." 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SOUL-WINNING 

He shall bear witness of me, and ye also bear witness. — 
John 15:26-27. 

Ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon 
you and ye shall be my witnesses. — Acts 1 : 8. 

There can be little doubt but that the Ploly Spirit 
as promised to the dispicles by Christ, according to 
John's Gospel, was not for their regeneration, — 
that was an accomplished fact — but for their sub- 
sequent sancti-fication and service. The service to 
which they were called, and to Avhich all Christians 
are called, was to bear witness of Christ. A wit- 
ness is a person who renders public testimony in 
open court to the truth as he understands it and 
believes it. A Christian witness is one w^ho testifies 
in the open court before an unbelieving world to 
what he believes to be the truth concerning Christ, 
— His relation to God, His life in the world, Plis 
authoritative teaching, His death for mankind. His 
resurrection from the grave and His future advent 
in glory. The essential qualifications of a telling 
witness are a positive knowledge and a consistent 
utterance. His knowledge must have come not from 
mere hearsay, that would be expressing only an 
opinion about Christ, which has no great weight in 
judicial cases. A true witness must have a knowl- 

117 



118 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

edge that has come from an inborn conviction, from 
personal observation, and a real, spiritual experi- 
ence. The testimony that will convince an un- 
believer regarding the truth of Christ, must be a 
testimony; not only for Christ, but of Christ; of a 
Savior with whom he stands in living relationship, 
through the in-working, witness-bearing Spirit 
whose office-work it is to take of the things of 
Christ and show them unto believers. 

Christians who desire to be used of God in soul- 
winning should have a clear understanding of the 
Holy Spirit's relation to them with reference to 
their sanctification and effectual witness bearing. 
Sanctification is the Spirit's work in the believer 
and for the believer; witness-bearing is the Spirit's 
work not only in and for the believer, but through 
the believer to the unbelieving world. The latter 
we are here considering. The scriptural teaching 
on that subject may be stated as follows : 

(1) There can he no distinctive soul-winning 
power without the help of the Holy Spirit, "Ye 
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come 
upon you, and ye shall be my witnesses." The prom- 
ised power was to bear witness. The chief work of 
the early disciples was to tell what they knew about 
Christ. That is yet the chief function of Christian 
witnesses. They are not to give public addresses, 
nor are they called upon to argue their case in open 
court. Controversy is not conviction, and seldom 
leads to it. All that the believers have to do is to 



The Holy Spikit in Soul - Winning 119 

let the Spirit of God have the right of way in their 
lives, put themselves under His guidance and con- 
trol, and by virtue of that relationship, being the 
Spirit's mysterious conductors, the witnessing power 
is transmitted to the world. The secret of spiritual 
power is the secret of making and maintaining 
proper connection with the only source of such 
power. The power is transmitted in proportion as 
the Spirit is given freedom. The command: "Be 
ye filled with the Spirit," means to give Him full 
sway, and see to it that there is nothing in one's 
life to cut off the divine current. The connection 
must be and remain unhindered. Although the Holy 
Spirit may have no absolutely perfect conductors, 
He will use to the fullest extent every one who will 
put himself at His disposal. His power, like the 
power of electricity, will run where it finds a con- 
ductor, and is greatest where He finds the least re- 
sistance and the most perfect medium. Those who 
try to win souls without reliance upon the Spirit's 
guidance may as well try to melt the winter's snow 
and ice with tallow candles, instead of waiting and 
d^epending upon the sun's influence and heat. One 
may have even the right passages of Scripture and 
fail to make an impression because "the letter kill- 
eth, but the Spirit giveth life." The Word of God 
is "the sword of the Spirit." That sword must be 
left prayerfully in the Spirit's hand. He must dwell 
by faith in the believer, and be given freedom to 
wield His own sword, for the effectual conquest of 



120 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

the sinner. In this holy work there must be the mys- 
terious blending of the divine with the human. 
"Man's voice, God's truth; man's speech, God's in- 
spiration; a human agent and the divine power." 

"The Spirit breathes upon the Word 
And brings the truth to sight." 

When one fully realizes that truth, there cannot 
but rise up in his heart the prayer: 

"Pass me not mighty Spirit, 

Thou canst make the blind to see, 
Witnesser of Jesus' merit, 

Speak the word of power to me." 

(2) Every Ohiistian can claim the witnessing 
power of the Sjnrit as Ms spiritual hirthright. 
When the Spirit of power was bestowed upon the 
disciples on the day of Pentecost, Peter declared, in 
reference to this gift: "For to you is the promise, 
and to your children, and to all that are afar off, 
even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto 
him." The promise of the Spirit for service is as 
universal for believers who want to receive Him as 
the promise of salvation is for sinners who want to 
be saA^ed. But just as many sinners do not avail 
themselves of the promise of pardon, so many be- 
lievers do not avail themselves of the promise of 
power for service. They have surrendered to Christ 
for salvation, but have not surrendered to the Holy 
Spirit for service. They have received the Spirit 
in regeneration, but when it comes to witness-bear- 



The Holy Spikit in Soul - Winning 121 

ing they are non-conductors of His power. They 
have not given Him full control. Selfishness and 
sin are permitted to obstruct the current of His wit- 
nessing, converting power to others. Christian 
reader, the promised power is for you, why not go 
and claim in full your birthright blessing ? 

(3) The conditions for obtaining the Holy Spirit 
for service are not unlike the conditions for salvation. 
In salvation there is, first, God's promise, and faith 
lays hold of that promise. The person hearing the 
promise says: "That is for me as well as for others 
who have received His blessing." With the exercise 
of faith comes a desire to possess, and that desire 
is a prayer to God for its bestowal. After that 
comes the surrender of the will in obedience to a 
higher will. With the surrender of the will, the 
transaction is past, the soul is converted to God. 
Not unlike that experience is the experience in re- 
ceiving the Holy Spirit. The steps in the appro- 
priation of the gift are faith, prayer, self -surrender 
and obedience. By these we pass into the assurance 
of salvation, and by these likewise we come into the 
assurance of the Spirit's presence, power and guid- 
ance in Christian w^ork. The evidences in one do 
not differ from the evidences in the other. If we 
can be assured of God's promised pardon, we can 
also be assured of His promised power. 

(4) The enduement of power for service is a 
definite experience not unlike the expemenc of con- 
version. There have been many ministers and lay- 



122 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

men who have testified, and their testimony cannot 
be disputed, that years after their conversion, they 
sought earnestlyi by faith, prayer and consecration, 
God's Spirit of power for service, and consciously 
received the blessing. The experience was as genu- 
ine, clear, and even more marked than the experi- 
ence of their conversion. In the new light that came 
to them, some doubted whether they were really 
Christians before. Now, whether such post-conver- 
sion experience is designated as "full consecration," 
"entire sanctification," whether we call it a "second 
blessing," or "the fulness of the Spirit," the gift of 
God for "cleansing from sin," or a "special anoint- 
ing for service," does not concern us here, so long 
as we admit that there are such experiences, espec- 
ially when confirmed by a subsequent transforma- 
tion of life and power in Christian work. But while 
we must admit that there is a definite experience in 
receiving the Holy Spirit in preparation for service, 
we must not doubt that there may be Christians 
equally led by the Spirit who can not point to the 
particular time when the Holy Spirit came thus 
into their lives. Experiences here differ, as ex- 
periences in conversion differ. There are many 
Christians who do not know when they were con- 
verted. Those who had no striking experience in 
conversion may be just as truly and consistently 
Christians as others. In neither conversion nor in 
the reception of the Spirit should men seek an ex- 
perience^ but the fulfilment of a promise. 



Tpie Holy Spirit in Soul -Winning 123 

In this, as in conversion, some hearing of the 
blessed experiences of others, imagine that they 
ought to have similar experiences, when in reality 
they should simply take the Master at His word 
and trust the Spirit to guide them in service ac- 
cording to His promise. A Spirit-filled life is not 
always a public life. Mr. Kimball, the quiet Sun- 
day school teacher, who was instrumental in the 
conversion of Dwight L. Moody, was no less filled 
and led by the Holy Spirit than the great evan- 
gelist afterwards, in his evangelistic work. It is a 
mistake to think that the power of the Spirit is 
always manifested in a public career. The earth- 
quake, the fire and the wind, may manifest the 
power of God, but He speaks more frequently and 
no less effectively in the "still small voice." "There 
are diversities of gifts, but by the same Spirit." 
Each one should be satisfied to let God use him 
where and when and how it may please Him. 



CHAPTER XV 

STRAY ARROWS 

No. 1. 

Thine arrows lighted on me. — Ps. 38 : 2. 

Pastokal visitation may be a professional formal 
part of ministerial work or it may be a quest for 
souls, in which, through the natural social channels, 
one may look for psychological moments to leave 
messages for the Master. If the latter is the under- 
lying purpose, the Holy Spirit will honor it with 
His presence and His guidance. Seed thus sown 
often has glad surprises for the Christian sower. 
Among the sheaves gathered in the harvest fields 
where the writer has labored, the following are 
singled out, not only for the joy it gave the gleaner 
when they were gathered for the Master, but also 
to attract the reader to a field that is always "ready 
to harvest," and where every reaper can be assured 
of wages and may gather fruit unto eternal life 
(John 4:36). 

Among the fields of my labors, I often think of 
the one where I passed through my greatest trials, 
and where also I found my greatest joys. Such ex- 
periences often intermingle. As I began my work 
by calling on the people, I called one clay on a fam- 
ily not connected with any church. I found a 

124 



Steay Arrows 125 

mother with three little children — two at her side 
and a babe in her arms. After a casual remark re- 
garding her home charge, I inquired whether she 
was a Christian. Receiving a negative answer, I 
tenderly reminded her how much she needed God's 
help in her duties in the home and toward her chil- 
dren. I learned afterward that this question of her 
salvation remained with her for months. A week's 
severe illness deepened her anxiety concerning her 
spiritual state until through prayer and self-sur- 
render, she found pardon and acceptance. But in 
her weak condition the joy which followed un- 
balanced her mind temporarily. The neighbors who 
were present became somewhat alarmed and called 
her physician. When the physician appeared at the 
house she protested and said she wanted them to send 
for the minister. When I stepped into the room 
she raised herself in bed, grasped my hand ex- 
citedly, and, with w^ild expression in her eyes, ex- 
claimed : "I know you. You are the minister. You 
asked me once whether I was a Christian. I told 
you that I was not," — "Yes," I interrupted, "and 
are you now^?" "I am," was her reply. She con- 
tinued, "I wanted you to come and pray for us. I 
want my husband to become a Christian, and there 
is my neighbor, I want her to become a Christian, 
and her daughter and this neighbor also, and the 
doctor; I want you all to kneel down and let the 
minister pray for us." The atmosphere became sud- 
denly too religious for the physician and he had quiet- 



126 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

ly stepped into an adjoining room. When she noticed 
his absence, she called him and said she wanted him 
to come and kneel down while the minister prayed. 
This made the situation still more embarrassing for 
him. Another call, however, brought him to the 
room. After prayer the patient became calm, the 
room quieted, and in another part of the house I 
had conversation with her husband and the physi- 
cian. I expressed my belief in her conversion. Both 
remained skeptical and repudiated my diagnosis of 
the case. Without disputing the matter, I told 
them that time would, no doubt, confirm my opinion. 
Making a friendly departure, I left our patient 
at this stage in the care of the physician. The 
next day there was a reaction. I found the woman 
in an extremely weakened conditon. I could have 
only a few words and a brief prayer. In a low 
Avhisper she said: "I have peace and am so happy, 
but am not yet able to tell my husband of my sal- 
vation." From that time on the patient gathered 
both physical and spiritual strength. As soon as 
she was able she made a public profession of her 
faith and became an earnest and consistent Christ- 
ian. The family moved to another state where, 
several years later, I had occasion to visit them, 
and I found, to my great joy, a happy, Christian 
home, with both parents and children, now grown, 
avowed believers. 



Stray Arrows 127 



No. 2. 



A certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the 
king of Israel. — 1 Kings 22 : 34. 

"I want you to speak with me this evening. You 
spoke to me Sunday morning and did not know it." 
This was the greeting the writer received from a 
woman one evening as he entered the inquiry room 
at a church in Chicago, where Messrs. Moody and 
Sankey were conducting union meetings. The Sun- 
day service to which the woman referred I well 
remember. It did not differ from our usual Sunday 
morning service, except that it was a season of 
spiritual interest when the Spirit of God prompts 
the unsaved to attend church services, which, at 
other times, they neglect to do. She belonged to 
that class and, being one of the first ones present 
that Sunday morning, gave me an oportunity to 
greet her and introduce her to a few other early 
comers. In the few words that were exchanged she 
informed me where she lived and that she had not 
been in a church for seven years. She was con- 
siderably ill at ease during the service. In relating 
her experience afterward, she said: "I wanted to 
leave the church after I had taken a seat, saying 
to myself, why didn't I go to a larger church, 
where I could hear some well-known preacher, but 
something held me to my, seat and the first thing 
I knew the minister preached straight at me." I 
have an idea that what kept her in her seat that 
morning were the two Christian women to whom 



128 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

she had been introduced before the service, and who 
had taken her into the seat with them and were 
praying for her. I preached from the text, "I am 
not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of 
God unto salvation to every one that believeth." 
The introduction of the sermon had reference to 
the things of which people were ashamed, and which 
were not cause for shame; and then the things 
of which they ought to be ashamed, of which they 
did not appear to be ashamed. It arrested her at- 
tention. The Spirit of God made that truth the 
arrow of her conviction. The missiles which struck 
home were some scriptural quotations, especially 
those from the twenty-fifth Psalm: "Let me not 
be ashamed, let them be ashamed which transgress 
without cause." She became deeply penitnent and 
began to seek salvation. When she desired me to 
speak to her in the inquiry room that evening, she 
was just merging out of darkness and was ready 
to confess her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior. 
She became His loyal follower, ashamed only of 
the years she had lived without Him, but never 
ashamed to testify to the power of His Gospel in 
her salvation. 

No. 3. 

The bow of Jonathan turned not back. — 1 Sam. 1 : 22. 

In a Christian household Avas a son, who, though a 
moral man and an intellectual believer, was so oc- 



Stray Akbows 129 

cupied with business and the fraternities of which 
he was a member that religion found no place in 
his life, except as now and then he felt its claims. 
He expected, however, at some time to become iden- 
tified with the church in which his father was the 
senior elder. He had had many reminders of the 
uncertainty of life. His mother, sister and two 
brothers had within a dozen years or so died, — two 
of them very suddenly. Fresh in his mind was the 
sudden death of the cashier of the bank, whose as- 
sistant he had been for several years. Meeting this 
young man one afternoon in the postoffice and speak- 
ing of the death which had shocked the entire 
community, I remarked: "Have you ever thought 
how little there is in this world to depend upon, 
and how soon all may end?" "You are right," he 
said, "I have been thinking about this consider- 
ably, and especially lately." Our conversation was 
interrupted and I went home, but not satisfied w^ith 
a bare reference to a subject of such vital impor- 
tance. That evening, as I sat reading at my library 
table, my mind constantly reverted to the conver- 
sation in the postoffice with the young man. I 
said to myself, "He seems approachable and some- 
time, perhaps tomorrow, I will try to follow up this 
conversation." Suddenly it occurred to me that the 
devil always whispers, "some day;" I threw my book 
upon the table, telephoned the young man at once, 
asking him to come to my study after banking 
hours the following day, that I would like to see 



ISO The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

him a short time on some important business. He 
consented, set the time, kept his promise, wonder- 
ing what important business I might want to dis- 
cuss with him. He acknowledged later that he had 
some faint suspicion that I wanted to talk with him 
about joining the church. But that was not my 
chief object; I wanted to ascertain to what extent 
he had thought of his personal relationship to 
Christ, and whether the time had not come when 
he ought to settle that question. He said that he 
had thought about this matter seriously and had 
made up his mind to tell his father on his seven- 
tieth birthda}?-, which they were about to celebrate, 
that he intended in the near future to identify him- 
self with the church. I expressed my, gratification 
with that intention, but told him that an important 
step should precede joining the church. "What is 
that?" was his honest question. It gave me the op- 
portunity to explain clearly the necessity of per- 
sonally accepting Christ and surrendering, unre- 
servedly, to Him. "After that," I said, "you may 
publicly confess your faith in Christ by uniting 
with the church." He did not know whether he 
had ever personally appropriated Christ. I ex- 
plained this point a little further and then suggested 
the propriety;, since we two were lalone, to settle this 
matter through faith and prayer. He was silent, 
but mentally assented and knelt with me in prayer. 
After I had prayed I requested him to pray. Some- 
times an inquirer will say that he does not know 



Stray Abrows 131 

how to pray, and in that case, one can have him 
repeat a prayer that is given sentence by sentence. 
But my friend responded instantly to my request 
and with a child-like faith and simplicity he com- 
mitted himself to the Christ, thanking God for that 
meeting with the pastor. After that definite act of 
surrender, there came immediately a peace and sat- 
isfaction, and he went home feeling that the ques- 
tion was rightly and definitely settled. He could 
not wait for his father's birthday to tell him the 
news. A week or so later he made a public pro- 
fession of his faith. With a new life-purpose be- 
fore him, he became, and continues to the present, 
a faithful and loyal supporter of the church. 

No. 4. 

With an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded. — Ps. 64 : 7. 

In a previous chapter on "Conviction of Sin," 
the writer has endeavored to explain that convic- 
tion of sin is not mere feeling on the subject of 
sin, nor remorse on account of the consequences of 
sin, and that saving faith is not mere intellectual 
assent to religious truth. Many persons are wounded 
with the arrows of conviction who never truly sur- 
render and believe. A sad instance of this occurred 
in my ministr}^ when a periodical drunkard came 
under the influence of the Gospel and sought salva- 
tion. He seemed an earnest seeker, but his failure 
to find peace proved that the salvation which he 



132 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

sought was not so much a salvation from sin as 
from misery which sin had entailed. He lodged and 
boarded with the family of a married brother, all 
professing Christians. On account of his drunken 
sprees, he was not on good terms with his brother, 
and much less with his sister-in-law. Several 
Christians became deeply interested in this man's 
salvation for he was, physically and intellectually, 
a fine specimen of manhood, well-known in the com- 
munity. Had he come into the true light and lib- 
erty, he might have become a power for good in sav- 
ing others. For several weeks he attended special 
meetings where the way of salvation was fully ex- 
plained, but something kept him out of the king- 
dom. He expressed a willingness to unite with the 
church, but was not encouraged to take that step 
until he came first into right relationshixD with 
God. In a conversation with him one Saturday 
afternoon, the difficulty which stood in his way 
suddenly appeared when a reference was made to 
the necessity of the spirit of forgiveness if one 
desires God's forgiveness. The question was asked 
whether he cherished any bitterness toward his 
brother's family, where he made his home. At this 
suggestion the eyes of the man who seemed so docile 
and penitent before, suddenly flashed fire as he con- 
temptuously remarked. "They are beneath me: 
they are not worthy of my notice, much less for- 
giveness." I replied at once: "That explains your 
difficulty. If you harbor a spirit like that, you can- 



Stray Arrows 133 

not expect to be forgiven by God. The Savior's 
teaching is plain on that subject," I said: '* 'If ye 
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your 
heavenly Father forgive your trespasses/' This ar- 
row of God's truth wounded him and he went away 
dejected in spirit. As a suffering patient, rejecting 
the drastic means prescribed for recover3\ is apt to 
turn to another physician for a more soothing rem- 
edy, so this man went to the church officers with 
his difficulty. Had they understood the vital point 
at issue and emphasized the same condition of sal- 
vation, the man might have surrendered. But in- 
stead, they centered his attention on the promise 
found in John 5:24, saying: "If you believe this 
you have eternal life." The man, apparently peni- 
tent and earnestly desiring a different life, said he be- 
lieved, and wanted to know what else he could do. 
This consultation, with new physicions, took place 
in the church one Sunday morning before the serv- 
ice, when new members were to be publicly received. 
The pastor yielded to his session, who decided to re- 
ceive this man, with others, into the church fellow- 
ship. But he has had reason to regret ever after- 
wards that he did not stand firm by his convictions 
when he tried to show his officers the barrier in this 
man's way of genuine conversion. The man came 
into the church without the consciousness of God's 
pardon and peace, and without change of heart. He 
att/ended church services with some degree of regu- 
larity for some months, then he beo^an to neo'lect 



134 The Soul-Winneb's Gospf^. 

them. We next heard of his association on the 
Lord's Day with worldly men. He drifted more and 
more away until he fell back into his old life of peri- 
odical drunkenness. All efforts to save him proved 
futile, and one morning his death, which occurred 
in a lodging room above a saloon after a drunken 
spree, was announced in the paper. He had been 
wounded by God's arrows, but stubbornly refused 
to surrender on one vital point of salvation, and, 
failing in this, he turned back to the world. 

"Of all sad words of tongue or pen, 
The saddest are these, 'It might have been.' " 

No. 5. 

Thine arrows are sharp. — Ps. 45 : 5. 

In one of my; pastorates I had, among the regular 
attendants upon the Sunday services, although not 
n professing Christian, a young physician, tall, well- 
dressed, and rather conspicuous, if not aristocratic, 
ill his gieneral appearance. He haid married a 
Christian woman in the East, who, like himself, 
was stately in her bearing and giving evidence of 
refinement and culture. She had united with the 
church by letter and was a devout worshiper. Her 
mother, who lived in the East, was an earnest 
Christian. She visited her daughter for months at 
a time and, during one of her visits, there was an 
unusual spiritual interest in the church. At the 
special meetings, which were conducted by the pas- 



1, Stray Arrows 135 

tor, there was hardly an evening when there were 
not some who manifested a desire to become Christ- 
ians. The physician and his family attended these 
special meetings. One evening the power of the 
Spirit was especially felt in the meeting; several 
arose for prayer. But, while the invitation was 
pressed for others, who had never taken a public 
stand for Christ, to do so that night, the doctor re- 
mained unmoved in his seat. As soon as the audi- 
ence was dismissed, the three left the church, sol- 
emn, if not depressed. To what extent the doctor's 
wife and her mother were concerned about him be- 
came afterward known. That night he remained 
on their hearts, and on the hearts of other Christ- 
ians who w^ere making him a subject of special 
prayer. The next morning I was prompted to go 
and see him at his office. Several times previous 
to this I had planned to see him, but was prevented 
or failed to find him in. It seemed that the op- 
portune time had not yet arrived. This morning, 
however, the doctor was at leisure and for an hour 
and a half no callers interrupted our conversation. 
I had been informed by a mutual friend, who had 
roomed with the physician when he began his prac- 
tice, that at night before retiring his habit was 
to read his Bible and have silent prayer. That was 
evidence of a Christian training, but is not always 
an evidence of being a Christian. No sooner had I 
started the conversation when the doctor intimated 
that he had about decided to unite with the church. 



136 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

He thought that was the right thing for him to do. 
I advised him not to do so unless he was sure of 
being a Christian. That brought up the question 
of assurance, how a person can know that he is a 
Christian. During the discussion of this question 
he again intimated that he was willing to unite with 
the church. But I replied again that I had not 
come to ask him to unite with the church, unless he 
believed himself to be a Christian, "and so far," I 
remarked, "you have not taken a stand Avith Christ- 
ian people, nor expressed a desire to become a 
Christian." The latter remark was calculated to 
draw him out with reference to the conduct of the 
meetings at the church, which he had attended. It 
had the right effect. He said he did not believe 
much in a public stand, and did not think it was 
necessary, if one desired to be a Christian, to mani- 
fest that desire by rising publicly, for prayer. "I 
agree with you, doctor," said I. "Many persons 
have become Christians in other ways. But if you 
have made up your mind that you will not take that 
stand, then you are standing in your own light, and 
may never come to an assurance of salvation." I 
cited cases where persons permitted some form of 
pride to stand in their way, who continued in the 
dark until that pride was laid aside, adding: "If 
I were not a Christian, it seems to me I would be 
willing to do anything that might be suggested to 
be a step toward the light." Silently he seemed to 
admit that his attitude on this subject was not the 



Stkay Arkows 137 

right attiude. Pie was prepared for the next ques- 
tion, which was asked with S37impathy and tender- 
ness, for it seemed that the Spirit had now "broken 
every barrier down," "Would you really like to 
become a Christian in God's way?" I asked, "and 
know that he has accepted you?" "I would," was 
his reply. "Then let us have prayer," said I, "be- 
fore we separate." He locked his office door, took 
me into his private office, and there before Him 
who "seeth in secret and rewardeth openly," we 
knelt in prayer. After this, I assured him that I 
would continue to pray for him, and that others 
were praying for him. The swelling of his throat 
and the welling-up of moisture in his eyes was an 
indication that he should now be left alone with 
God. It was eleven o'clock in the forenoon. At 
one o'clock my doorbell rang, and there stood the 
doctor with a new light in his face, to tell me that 
after my departure he had continued to pray and 
had gotten the assurance of pardon and acceptance. 
The foregoing is only one side of the story of this 
man's conversion. There is another part which must 
not be omitted from the record, for I am certain 
it fills an important part of what the Recording 
Angel wrote in the Book of Life that morning. 
About the time I started for the doctor's office that 
morning, his wife's mother had gone to her room to 
read her Bible and continue in prayer for his con- 
version. I did not know this; and she did not 
know of the conversation that was taking place in 



138 The Soul- Winner's Gospel 

the office. Where could there be a plainer instance 
of the Holy Spirit's leadings and promptings in 
prayer and work? At twelve o'clock the doctor ar- 
rived at his house and told his wife what had trans- 
pired at the office that morning. Overjoyed, she 
hastened wath him upstairs to her mother's room, 
calling to her before the door was opened: "Oh, 
mother! the doctor is converted!" They rejoiced, 
they wept, and gave thanks. The noon meal which 
followed was "seasoned with grace." There was a 
new joy in that home, a joy that was shared by 
others, a jo}^ in which also the angels of heaven 
participated. 

N^o. 6. 

I will spend many arrows upon them. — Deut. 32 : 23. 

During a revival meeting in a city in central 
Illinois there came from the county seat of an ad- 
joining county a man and his wife whose ages were 
past the sixtieth milestone, and who had spent more 
than half of that time in a happy, wedded life. 
They had driven, through dust and heat, a distance 
of twenty -two miles to remain a few days and at- 
tend the meetings. The wife had been a professing 
Christian for many years; but her husband, as she 
expressed it, "had never been converted." Meeting 
them soon after their arrival at the home of one 
of their relatives, the writer was somewhat surprised 
that the man coincided with what his wife had said 



Stray Areows 139 

in his presence about his desire to become a Christ- 
ian. Theivi had come to the revival meetings with the 
hope that he might experience a change of heart. 
Their free conversation on that subject was rather 
remarkable. He was an intelligent man, being fa- 
miliarly called "Judge" in his home town, from 
the fact that for several years he had been county 
judge, and had held other public offices. It seemed 
that his attitude toward religion had always been 
favorable, and that for more than twenty years he 
had cherished a desire to become a Christian. After 
explaining to him the way of salvation and w^hat I 
believed he ought to do to become an assured Christ- 
ian, I left them with the understanding that I 
wished to see them again before they returned home. 
During their brief stay in the city, they attended 
all the meetings faithfully. When they; were about 
to return home, I had an opportunity for further 
conversation with them. The man admitted freely 
that his feelings had undergone no change by at- 
tending the meetings. My advice to him was 
illustrated with the following story: 

A man who wanted to become a Christian came 
home from a meeting one evening saying : "Wife, 
the evangelist told us tonight that if a person 
wanted to be a Christian, he should do what a 
Christian ought to do, and he would become 
one." And then he began to enumerate some 
things a Christian ought to do. He ought to 
read the Bible, a Christian ought to have prayer 
in his home, he ought to go to church, he ought 



140 The Soul-Winner's Gospel 

to go to prayer meeting, etc. He then declared 
his purpose to do, as best he knew how, what a 
Christian ought to do. It was not long before 
he became an assured Christian. 

After telling them this story, I asked the man 
and his wife whether they were willing to pursue a 
similar course. They said they were, and they agreed 
that upon their return home they would read the 
Bible and have prayer together in their home. They 
also promised to attend the church prayer meetings 
and other services. Three months later a letter, 
written by a niece who had made an extended visit 
at their home, reached me, saying that her uncle 
had become a different man, having prayer in his 
home, and having united with the church and being 
very much interested in all the services. It was my 
privilege to visit that home at different times dur- 
ing a subsequent period of ten years, and, from an 
intimate, personal knowledge, I can testify that the 
man became an assured and growing Christian, serv- 
ing the church as elder for several years before he 
was called with his companion to their eternal home. 

The man, whose story of conversion I have here 
related, was a type of many unemotional, intelli- 
gent men, who, instead of waiting for an experience, 
are to make the choice of salvation a business trans- 
action and then calmly pursue the path of duty 
and righteous living. Here was a man who, as 
county judge, had sat repeatedly in court, weighing 
carefully arguments on both sides of the case, and 



Stray Arrows 141 

then rendered his decision. His decisions were ren- 
dered without impulse, sentiment, or emotion. 
These were not in his nature, consequently his reli- 
gious decision had to be made in the same rational 
way. The Gospel message to some may be to "Stand 
still and see the salvation of God," but to others 
the message must be "Go forward." The conversion 
of a business man, as a rule, must be made a busi- 
ness transaction, especially if he is unemotional in 
other matters, and if his attitude is not unfavorable 
toward Christianity. The change of heart, that 
some wait for, is God's work, and He will do what 
He has promised to do as soon as man will "trust 
and obey." 



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